Not all residents of Latvia know that in difficult life situations they are entitled to free legal assistance and government compensation. To change this situation, the Judicial Administration, together with the Ministry of Justice, has launched an information campaign to inform about the possibilities of obtaining support and protecting their rights regardless of financial capabilities, reports the program "900 Seconds" (TV3).
In the program TV3, the parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Lauma Paegļkalna, emphasized that many people are still unaware of the available government assistance.
"The ability to defend one's rights should not depend on a person's financial situation, which is why the state provides both legal aid and compensation to victims in certain situations," said Paegļkalna.
According to her, due to a lack of information, part of society does not exercise their rights at all.
State legal aid is intended for both low-income and needy individuals, as well as those who find themselves in difficult situations due to unforeseen circumstances. It includes consultations with a lawyer, document preparation, and representation in court.
Such assistance can be obtained in family disputes, matters of alimony and child custody, administrative cases, as well as in criminal proceedings.
"We want to reach out to people who do not even know that they are actually entitled to state-funded assistance," emphasized Paegļkalna.
State compensation for victims of crimes is available to those harmed by serious crimes, their relatives, and victims of human trafficking. The maximum compensation currently amounts to the equivalent of five average monthly salaries, or about 3900 euros — in the case of the death of a loved one. In other cases, the amount of compensation depends on the severity of the crime. Compensation is provided, for example, for serious bodily harm, sexual violence, and crimes against children.
