Navigation
Documents Required And How To Proceed In Criminal Matters
In criminal cases no documents about the income are requested to make a person eligible for the service. A person may ask the Police, the Magistrate or Judge presiding the case, attend at the Servizz.gov hubs (Birgu, Żejtun, Birkirkara or St. Paul's Bay), apply online or attend at our offices, to request to be assisted by a legal aid lawyer.
If a person is requesting legal aid assistance from Servizz.gov, by applying online or attending at Agency offices, the person needs to make sure to request legal aid services in sufficient time before the hearing of the case to prepare the procedural forms and the client would have sufficient time to discuss the matter under issue with the assigned legal aid lawyer. The person must have available a valid identity document (ID Card, passport etc), the court summons and the writ of indictment. A person who makes a request during the last days before the hearing of the case is not guaranteed a proper service.
Legal Aid Request When Held For Interrogation And/Or Under Arrest
A person called by the Police for interrogation or held under arrest has the right to be assisted by the legal aid lawyer on the daily roster. This person may request the police officer that is interrogating him/her or that has arrested him/her to be assisted by a legal aid lawyer. The legal aid lawyer who initially advised the person while being interrogated and/or when under arrest will continue to assist and represent the accused when brought to Court.
Appealing From A Judgement
A person being assisted by a legal aid lawyer who wants to appeal from a judgement of the Court of Magistrates, must immediately inform the assigned Legal Aid Lawyer to assess whether there are grounds for appeal. If there are sufficient grounds, the appeal needs to be submitted to the Criminal Court Registry within twelve working days from date of judgement. No means test is undertaken.
A person who has been sentenced by the Court of Magistrates and had the judgment appealed by the prosecution may also be assisted by legal aid. The person must request the legal aid lawyer who had been assisting him/her or else refer to the Legal Aid Malta offices to direct the client accordingly.
