Legal Aid in Cambodia: Practices, Perceptions and Needs - PRAJ

16Legal Aid in Cambodia: Practices, Perceptions and NeedsA Study based on a National Surveylegal advice or mediation in cases in which it does not represent any party. In criminal cases,LAC lawyers accept felony, misdemeanor, domestic violence, human trafficking and rapecases. For civil cases, LAC lawyers accept divorce, land dispute, contract dispute, and casesinvolving NGOs. LAC lawyers also accept juvenile cases and labor cases.LAC defines poor people as those whose disposable income is less than $100 per month andwhose disposable assets are worth less than $5000. In addition to cases for poor people, LACalso accepts cases involving vulnerable people such as women, children and others sufferingfrom alleged abuse by powerful or wealthy individuals. 22 LAC also provides legal educationthrough a street law training program and through educational shows on radio and TV.LAC has 12 lawyers in its main office in Phnom Penh, and 11 others in Ratanakkiri, SiemReap, Sihanoukville, Koh Kong, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang and Kandal. Its PhnomPenh office consists of:• A general lawyers unit.• A land law unit providing legal advice and representation to communities of at leastfive families.• A juvenile litigation project providing legal services to child victims and children inconflict with the law.• A juvenile unit, with a research unit.• A labor unit providing legal services to company employees and labor unions.3.2.5 LSCW (Legal Support for Children and Women)LSCW aims to prevent human trafficking, exploitation, rape, and discrimination againstwomen and children. It emphasizes the training of women lawyers in case management, legalaid provision, the referral of victims of human rights violations to other NGOs for shelter andpsychological care; anti-trafficking training and networking for its mobile team; coordinatingwith relevant authorities on specific cases, and establishing an interagency protectionnetwork; and disseminating labor standards applicable to women and children. 23LSCW has worked on awareness-raising and, with support from the Ministry of Justice andlegal advisors, has produced a publication for potential female and child victims of traffickingentitled How to Protect Yourself. In addition, it has organized numerous workshops andseminars in Banteay Meanchey on early marriage, domestic violence, human trafficking andrelated laws.LSCW has six lawyers, three in its Phnom Penh office and the rest in its offices in Prey Vengand Koh Kong.3.2.6 CWCC (Cambodian Womenʹs Crisis Center)CWCC has a legal assistance program whose objective is to inform women and girls of theirrights and legal options; to make them aware of the costs and benefits of legal action byproviding them with legal advice and representation; to accompany them to the court; and towork with legal aid associations to create innovative remedies for female victims of human22 LAC, Case Intake Policy, Articles 1, 2, 4, 10, 11, 13-16 and 23-27.23 Source: LSCW website: www.lscw.org