After lengthy promotion by the community, the Legal Aid Foundation commenced formal operation on July 1, 2004 with the support of official bodies. Being able to defend people’s right to access the court system regardless of poor financial conditions is a milestone in the protection of human rights in Taiwan.

The Foundation provides legal consultation, drafting and mediation, as well as legal representation in civil, criminal and administrative lawsuits. The Foundation’s services extend not only to residents of Taiwan, but also to foreigners who lawfully entered Taiwan.

Other features about the Foundation that are worth commenting include:

1. Rapid establishment of branch offices: on the day of the Foundation’s opening, five branch offices commenced operation in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Hualian at the same time. Currently there are 19 branch offices, including Keelung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Nantou, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Yilan, Taitung, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu). The Foundation had achieved the goal of establishing branch offices throughout Taiwan in one year, demonstrating the dynamism and efficiency of the Foundation.
2. Speedy growth of legal aid grants: 7640 grants were made in first a year, and this also reflects the need of the public for legal aid.
3. The capacity to make decisions within 1 day: a characteristic of the Foundation is that applications can be decided within 1 day; and most applications can be decided within 1 week.
4. Being able to provide a certificate in lieu of the application fees for a sequestration order: the Foundation can provide a certificate to assist a recipient of legal aid in applying for sequestration orders.
5. Courts are obliged to grant procedural relief: in legally assisted cases, courts are obliged to defer adjudication fees and to grant procedural relief.
6. The independence of the Foundation: more than half of the members on the Board of Directors are non-officials, preserving the independence and dynamism of the community.

Although the Foundation has made progress since its establishment, there are still much to be achieved. They include providing assistance in non-contentious matters to the poor, establishing community legal centers, training public interest lawyers, improving the effectiveness of regulations, assisting disadvantaged and minority groups, and even include considering the issue of eliminating poverty in society. The Foundation will appreciate the continued support and advice from all concerned.