Pro deo
Legal aid
Pro deo is subsidized legal aid whereby a lawyer provides legal services to clients with insufficient financial means at a reduced rate or free of charge, with government reimbursement.
Pro deo, derived from the Latin 'pro Deo' (for God), refers in Dutch law to the provision of legal assistance by lawyers to litigants who are unable to bear the full costs. This system is governed by the Legal Aid Act and is administered through the Legal Aid Board.
The scheme is significant in that it ensures access to justice for citizens of limited means, irrespective of their income or assets. In practice, the Legal Aid Board determines whether legal aid is to be granted, following which the lawyer receives a fixed remuneration.
Law firms such as Arslan & Arslan may accept pro deo matters in order to assist vulnerable clients in proceedings relating to, for example, criminal law, family law or asylum.
“The accused was granted legal aid because his income fell below the prescribed threshold.”
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