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December 27, 2023 | John Samson
All residents of Bonaire, Saba and Statia will be entitled to free legal aid or advice by 2024. Outgoing Legal Protection Minister Frank Werwind has announced that every island will have a legal help desk.
Do you have a dispute with a shop, health insurance or the tax authorities? Do you want to know what your rights are? In the European Netherlands, if you have a low income, you can go to a legal help desk, a legal center or a social lawyer. But in Caribbean cities, it is difficult for residents to get help anywhere, unless they have to pay a lawyer.
So, outgoing minister Verwinder said that by 2024, every island will have a legal counter where people can go. Then, residents will be able to get legal help for free in their own language (Papiamento, English, Dutch and Spanish).
“Residents lack awareness of their rights”
In 2010, Bonaire, Saba and Statia became special administrative regions of the Netherlands. Since then, authorities on the islands and in the European Netherlands have warned The Hague that action must be taken because residents do not know what their rights are. They also have difficulty getting answers to their legal questions. There are few answers online.
In 2016, the National Ombudsman and the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights jointly sent an urgent letter to the House of Representatives.
No matter how much money you make, you can help
One notable difference from the European version of the Netherlands is that there are (currently) no income requirements for the island’s legal sector.
In the European Netherlands, you can earn up to €28,600 (single) or €40,400 (married or cohabiting) to get help from the Legal Help Desk. For information or advice on Bonaire, Saba and Statia, it doesn’t matter how much you earn.
According to outgoing minister Welwind, the aim is to make the legal sector “as accessible as possible”; to serve people and to be known to as many people as possible. “It therefore seems inappropriate to implement an income threshold at this initial stage,” a spokesman said.
When necessary, people will be referred to legal experts, lawyers or support agencies. Because the islands are small communities, it is expected that mediation will be used primarily to resolve residents’ legal problems.
What does a law office do?
The Legal Window provides residents with answers to their legal questions and helps them resolve issues related to housing and neighbors, work and income (layoffs), family and relationships, police and justice, purchasing and warranty, and debt and collection.
Property law, real estate and commercial issues will not be considered. Therefore, the company cannot seek assistance from the legal department.
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