Ms. Liisa Vehmas ‧The Manager of Legal Aid in Helsinki ‧The Head of the Helsinki Legal Aid Office ‧The Ministry of Justice ‧Finland

Professional Employment

【1.1.2003–Present】The Manager of Legal Aid Helsinki 【1998–2002】The Manager of Legal Aid Turku 【1976–1998】The Head of the Legal Aid Office of the city of Turku 【1974–1976】The legal aid attorney of the city of Turku

Biography

I have been in various legal aid employment for over 35 years, perhaps I can say that legal aid is my passion.  Legal aid started in Finland in the year 1974 first at the communal level, and from 1998 it became a public system.  I have been in action all the time, first in the city of Turku and from the year 2003 in the city of Helsinki.  In the legal aid area I have been involved in legislation work and in different committees.  I have been involved in international legal aid projects in China, Russia and EU.  Locally I have visited schools and different work places, and I have also been in TV, radio and newspapers.  In my whole career, I have promoted the legal aid system because I believe that in the state governed by the rule of law, publicly-funded legal aid is the best way to ensure the quality of the service to all people before the law regardless of their income.