Advocate Legal Assistance as a Way of Protecting Human Rights

Indonesia is a constitutional state, where everyone has the right of recognition, guarantees, protection and legal certainty that is fair and equal treatment before the law regardless of ethnicity, religion or status of life, including people who are unable, to gain access to justice. In a rule of law, the state recognizes and protects human rights for every individual, including the right to legal aid as a guarantee of access to justice which is a strict command of the constitution. So far, the provision of legal aid has not touched many people or groups of poor people, so they find it difficult to access justice because they are hampered by their inability to realize their constitutional rights. Apart from that, it is also due to the frequent occurrence of injustice to people who seek justice, especially for the poor who are economically incapable and do not have access to justice, so the provision of legal aid is very important. In the judicial system, advocates act as an element of the judicial system which is one of the pillars in upholding the rule of law and human rights. This free legal aid obligation is regulated in Law Number 18 of 2003 concerning Advocates. Regarding separate legal aid, it is regulated in Law Number 16 of 2011 concerning Legal Aid. Therefore, legal aid for advocates is an obligation, which is also part of protecting human rights in obtaining legal guarantees and protection.