Free Legal Aid to Realize Access to Law and Justice for Vulnerable Citizens (A Comparative Study of Indonesia and Thailand)

Muhaimin Muhaimin; Ahmad Hamdani  Hasanuddin; Rahma  Aulia; Hamdan  Yeewae; Melinda  Berliana

doi:10.15294/ijals.v8i2.38674

Authors

Muhaimin Muhaimin Faculty of Sharia, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Kudus, Indonesia, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8081-321X
Ahmad Hamdani Hasanuddin Faculty of Sharia, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Kudus, Indonesia, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7697-1798
Rahma Aulia Faculty of Sharia, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Kudus, Indonesia, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4424-327X
Hamdan Yeewae Jamiah Islam Syeikh Daud Al-Fathoni, Patani, Thailand, Thailand Author https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5323-6400
Melinda Berliana Faculty of Sharia, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kudus, Kudus, Indonesia, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2385-2123

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15294/ijals.v8i2.38674

Keywords:

Free legal aid, vulnerable communities, Indonesia, Thailand

Abstract

Fulfilling the right to legal aid requires services that address the economic, social, and institutional barriers faced by vulnerable citizens. This study examines Legal Aid Institute (LBH) services in Indonesia specifically in Semarang and Kudus, Central Java and the Muslim Attorney Center Foundation (MAC) in Yala, Southern Thailand, which assists the Malay Muslim minority in Pattani and Yala in navigating security and emergency laws. The research employs qualitative methods, a descriptive analytical approach, and functional legal comparison. Data were gathered through document analysis and 2024 interviews with 26 informants, including representatives from the Central Java Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, LBH and MAC lawyers, and legal aid recipients. The study covers Indonesia’s Legal Aid Law, the Thai Constitution, the Justice Fund Act, and Islamic family and inheritance laws in Southern Thailand. While services in Semarang and Kudus benefit from state accreditation and funding, they face challenges regarding administration, limited budgets, and the imposition of costs on recipients. MAC’s community-based approach in Thailand facilitates access for the Malay Muslim minority and their families while fostering trust; however, language barriers, resource constraints, and difficulties in accessing detainees held under security and emergency laws limit the scope of assistance. Findings from both regions highlight the need for sustainable funding, service oversight, and more accessible procedures, alongside strengthened community-based approaches and legal assistance from the onset of detention. This research provides a foundation for improving legal aid services by linking institutional governance with recipient experiences, ensuring services are more responsive to the needs of vulnerable citizens and that assistance remains available for as long as it is required.

References

Abdulloh. “Hasil Wawancara.” Thailand, 2024.

Ahmad. “Hasil Wawancara.” Thailand, 2024.

Arabiyah, Syarifah, and Ivan Wagner. “Strategi Pengembangan Institusi Pemberi Bantuan Hukum Sebagai Akses Menuju Keadilan.” Pembangunan Hukum Indonesia 5, no. 3 (2023): 396–97.

Arief, Ariesto Hadi Sutopo dan Adrianus. “Terampil Mengolah Data Kualitatif Dengan NVIVO,” 20. Jakarta: Kencana Prenada Media Group, 2010.

Arifin, Ridwan. “Legal Protection and Law Enforcement : The Unfinished Works.” Indonesian Journal of Advocacy and Legal Services 2, no. 1 (2020): 2. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijals.v2i1.38035.

Asfinawati, Mas Achmad Santosa. “Bantuan Hukum Akses Masyarakat Marjinal Terhadap Keadilan Tinjauan Sejarah, Konsep, Kebijakan, Penerapan Dan Perbandingan Di Berbagai Negara.” In LBH Jakarta, 56. Jakarata, 2007.

Astri. “Hasil Wawancara.” Semarang, 2024.

Enny Yulianti, Rahma Aulia. “Legal Politics Of Fulfilling The Rights To Education For Children With Disabilities (Study of Educational Access to Inclusion School Programs).” Islamic Family Law 6, no. 1 (2023): 41.

Fence M Wantu, Mohamad Taufiq Zulfikar Sarson. “Legal Protection of Women as Victim of Domestic Violence.” Indonesian Journal of Advocacy and Legal Services 1, no. 2 (2020): 251. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijals.v1i2.36093.

Firmansyah, Rizal, Nanda Eka Prasetya, Vella Septia Renanda, Universitas Pembangunan, Nasional Veteran, and Jawa Timur. “Efektivitas Bantuan Hukum Gratis Bagi Masyarakat Miskin Di Wilayah Hukum Pengadilan Negeri Gresik” 2, no. 3 (2024): 12–13. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.59581/deposisi.v2i3.3919.

Hakim, Hary Abdul, Chrisna Bagus, Edhita Praja, and Wita Setyaningrum. “Smart Legal : Proposing Artificial Intelligence Application to Provide Free Legal Aid in Indonesia” 500 (2024): 3. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202450005004.

Handayani, Elisa dan Febri. “Efektifitas Bantuan Hukum Dalam Menjamin Akses Keadilan Bagi Masyarakat Miskin.” Jurnal Cahaya Hukum Nusantara 1, no. 1 (2025): 41–42.

Haris, Andrie Irawan and Muhammad. “Urgensi Peraturan Daerah Bantuan Hukum Bagi Masyarakat Miskin Dan Kelompok Rentan Di Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta.” Nuansa Akademik: Jurnal Pembangunan Masyarakat 7, no. 1 (2022): 35–54. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47200/jnajpm.v7i1.1123.

IOM Thailand. Thailand Migration Report 2011, 2011.

Jakarta, Universitas Negeri. No Title, n.d.

Kausar. “Hasil Wawancara.” Thailand, 2024.

Kriyanto, Rahmat. “Teknik Praktis Riset Komunikasi,” 23. Jakarta: Kencana Prenada Media Group, 2012.

Kusumawati, Mustika. “Peranan Dan Kedudukan Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Sebagai Access To Justice Bagi Orang Miskin.” Arena Hukum 9, no. 2 (2016): 190–206. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.arenahukum.2016.00902.3.

“Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Palembang.” Accessed September 20, 2025. https://lbhpalembang.or.id/alur-pemberian-bantuan hukum/ .

Munger, Frank W. “Globalization through the Lens of Palace Wars: What Elite Lawyers’ Careers Can and Cannot Tell Us about Globalization of Law.” Law & Social Inquiry 36, no. 2 (2012): 468–97.

Nuna, Muten, Dince Aisa Kodai, and Roy Marthen Moonti. “Code of Ethics and the Role of Advocates in Providing Legal Aid to the Poor.” Indonesian Journal of Advocacy and Legal Services 1, no. 2 (2020): 259–74. https://doi.org/10.15294/ijals.v1i2.35986.

Pratama, Ilham Daffa. “Bantuan Hukum Oleh Pemerintah Provinsi Berdasarkan Undang-Undang No. 16 Tahun 2011,” 2024.

Purwanti, Ani. “PROTECTION AND REHABILITATION FOR WOMEN VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE ACCORDING TO INDONESIAN LAW ( STUDY ON CENTRAL JAVA GOVERNMENT ’ S HANDLING THROUGH KPK2BGA ).” Diponegoro Law Review 02, no. 02 (2017): 315–18. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14710/dilrev.2.2.2017.68-81.

Reform, Legal, Siti Malaiha Dewi, Umi Qodarsasi, Novian Uticha Sally, Muhammad Hasan Syamsudin, Muhammad Azil Maskur, Islamic Communication, United Kingdom, and Universitas Negeri Semarang. “Disability Law Reform in Indonesia : Analyzing Policy Gap Implementation in Kudus Regency.” Journal of Law and Legal Reform 6, no. 3 (2025): 1464. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.15294/jllr.v6i3.24260.

RI, MK. The 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, 1 § (1945). chrome extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.mkri.id/public/content/infoumum/regulation/pdf/UUD45 ASLI.pdf.

Riza. “Hasil Wawancara.” Semarang, 2024.

Simanjuntak, Ayub Jose Luhut Parulian. “Tanyangan Dan Strategi Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Dalam Memberikan Perlindungan Hukum Bagi Masyarakat Miskin.” Rio Law Jurnal 1, no. 2 (2025): 52–55. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36355/rlj.v6i1.

Sri Yuliana, Muhamad Adystia Sungga Yang Meliana, Arifin Faqih Gunawan. “Penerapan Dan Pemberian Bantuan Hukum Bagi Masyarakat Kurang Mampu.” Jurnal Hukum Media Bhakti 19, no. 2 (2021): 143.

“Supreme Court Regulation No. 1 of 2014 Concerning.” Accessed September 12, 2025. https://www.supremecourt.gov/filingandrules/rules_guidance.aspx.

Sutiyoso, Bambang. “Hukum Arbitrase Dan Alternatif Penyelesaian Sengketa,” 18. Yogyakarta: Gama Media, 2008.

Timon, Andros. “Tanggung Jawab Pemerintah Daerah Dalam Pemberian Bantuan Hukum Bagi Masyarakat Miskin.” Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan Suara Khatulistiwa 6, no. 2 (2021): 160–74. https://doi.org/10.33701/jipsk.v6i2.1859.

Wahyudi. “Hasil Wawancara.” Kudus, 2024.

Wibowo, Syadza Alifa and Arif. “Peran Kelompok Rentan Dalam Penanggulangan Bencana Dan Pengurangan Resiko Bencana Di Desa Tangguh Bencana (Studi Deskriptif Satuan Tugas Desa Tangguh Bencana Di Desa Gunung Geulis, Kecamatan Sukaraja, Kabupaten Bogor).” Urnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial 16, no. 1 (2015): 20.

Yono, Supri. “Implementasi Kebijakan Program Bantuan Hukum Bagi Masyarakat Tidak Mampu Di Kabupaten Situbondo.” Fenomena 21, no. 1 (2023): 91. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36841/fenomena.v21i1.2911.

Yusuf, A. Muri. “Metode Penelitian: Kuantitatif, Kualitatif, Dan Metode Gabungan,” 18. Jakarta: Kencana, 2014.

Zweigert, Konrad et Hein Kotz. “An Introduction to Comparative Law (3rd Ed.),” 28. Oxford University Press, 1998.