PM and Kingdom’s lawyers fund prison meeting rooms
THE Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia has unveiled an ongoing project to build consultation rooms at prisons across the Kingdom in a move welcomed by civil society organisations.
Its construction committee head Lem Chanlida said t he $140,000 nationw ide initiative had been joint ly funded by the Bar and Prime Minister Hun Sen, with each putting in $70,000. The funds will be spent to build attorney-client meeting rooms in 24 locations.
“Prime Minister Hun Sen and the head of the Bar Association t hought about t his issue and decided to build at least one office for law yers to work wit h t heir clients in confidence.
“If a lawyer has no room to meet properly with a client who is detained in prison, how will they feel?” she asked.
Chanlida said the government and the Bar sought to ensure t he dignit y of lawyers, especia lly in r ura l prov inces. She said in some locations, if law yers wanted to meet t heir clients, t hey need to do so under a tree on prison grounds.
Rights group Adhoc’s spokesman Soeung Sen Karona praised t he project, cit ing his experience as a former law yer. He said it is dif ficult for law yers to meet t heir clients at prisons, where they were always obser ved by of ficia ls.
“There is no privacy, so it makes the lawyer and client feel that nothing is secret. But, if there is an office, it will make the lawyer feel calm,” he said.
Strick confidence
Yung Phanit, a member of Cambodia’s Bar, said the Bar Association has 4,400 lawyers, including 200 lawyers who are willing to defend poor clients nationwide.
At many prov incial and municipal courts throughout the Kingdom, he said, t here is just one meeting room with at least five lawyers waiting to use it.
Chanlida said the construc- tion project started at least six months ago, with offices completed in Takeo province.
The offices in Kampot and Svay Rieng prov inces will be finished soon, she said, while t he building is underway in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Speu and Kampong prov inces.
She said the rooms are 4x5 metres and have a bathroom, air-conditioning and furniture. Each facility costs about $5,000 to $6,000 and has a two-meter garden around it.
“The lawyer can interview the client in the office in strict confidence as no one will Chhnang hear them.
“But we need to think about the safety, too, so the rooms will be installed with a twoway mirror so that prison guards can see in case there is a problem for the lawyer,” Chanlida said.
She added that the office is assigned to serve the investigating judge who is pursuing a case with a prosecutor. “It means that the investigating judge can use the office too,” she said.
Department of Prisons spokesman Sorn Keo told
on Monday t hat he a lso sees t he project in a positive light.
“The reason behind this construction is to facilitate lawyer-detainee dialogue as the latter is undergoing punishment at the prison and can discuss matters freely and in strict confidence,” he said.
Veteran defence lawyer Lor Kimgech said prison officials usually permit him to meet a client, but there is no room or privacy. He has already seen the impact of having designated lawyer rooms.
“Prey Sar Prison has one already and it is good to have it,” he said.
If a lawyer has no room to meet properly with a client who is detained in prison, how will they feel?