Legal Aid Administration (LAA) is the institution subordinated to the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Latvia.
In accordance with the State Ensured Legal Aid Law, the Law “On State Compensation to Victims” and the Cabinet Regulation Nr.869 of 15 November 2005 "Regulation of Legal Aid Administration”, there are following activities of the LAA providing for implementation of the delegated functions and tasks:
- ensuring access to just legal protection for the low-income and needy persons, and persons with a particular situation, property status and income levels considered appropriate for the state guaranteed legal aid, as well as providing financial support to Latvian nationals for the termination or removal of child custody rights in a foreign state;
- provision of the payment of State compensation to persons who have been recognized as victims in accordance with the procedures specified in the Criminal Procedure Law, as a result of an intentional criminal offence, as a result of a moral offence, physical suffering or property loss. The right to State compensation shall be where the death of a person has occurred as a result of an intentional criminal offence; serious or moderate bodily injury suffered by the victim; offence against morals and sexual interference; the victims of human trafficking in human beings; the victim is infected with human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B or C;
- provision of crime victims with informative support.
To ensure implementation of functions, the LAA performs the following tasks:
- pays the funds intended for state ensured legal aid and funds intended for the financial support to the Latvian nationals for addressing of child custody termination or withdrawal in a foreign country;
- pays out the funds provided for state compensations to the victims;
- enters into legal aid agreements with persons who, in accordance with the State Ensured Legal Aid Law, may be legal aid providers and shall designate them for the provision of legal aid;
- in cases specified by laws and regulations recovers the state budget funds paid to provide legal assistance and state compensations;
- maintains the register of state guaranteed legal aid and the state compensation;
- provides operation of the helpline 116006 "Helpline for victims of crime" by concluding a delegation agreement with the association "Skalbes".