Advocacy & Legal Advice Center (ALAC) is a separate center established within Transparency Maldives (TM) to provide free legal advice to victims and witnesses of corruption. ALAC is an AUS-AID funded project initiated in October 2011. The Centre was officially launched and provision of its services started on June 10, 2012.
ALAC is a platform for citizens to voice out their grievances and to empower individuals to pursue corruption related complaints.
The objective of the ALAC is:
– To provide free legal advice and assistance to victims and witnesses of corruption
– Help citizens pursue corruption-related cases
– Undertake advocacy for broader reform
The citizens can pursue corruption related complaints by:
– Calling ALAC’s toll-free number: (800) 3003 567
– Visiting ALAC office: G. Liverpool North, 1st Floor, Shabnam Magu, Male’
– Via email: [email protected] , [email protected]
ALAC, in addition to free legal consultation also conducts outreach programs to create public awareness about the detrimental effects of corruption.
ALAC would work with the government, independent institutions, NGO’s, private law firms and other relevant organizations and, would undertake advocacy to bring about broader systematic changes needed to tackle and curb corruption.
Prior to its launching, ALAC has worked in building relationship and establishing working partnership with several key stakeholders. This initial pre-launch work resulted in successful signing of ALAC’s first MoU with Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Maldives.
Human trafficking and corruption relating to expatriate labourers being one of the major issues in the country, ALAC provides its services to the vulnerable Bangladeshi workers in the Maldives. Through Transparency International’s FK exchange program, a staff member of Transparency International Bangladesh has been based in TM to assist with complaints from Bangladeshi workers.
To further extend ALAC services and reach a larger community, ALAC also conduct Mobile ALAC Camps in rural outer atolls. These Camps provide free-legal advice to the vulnerable island communities, which have very limited access to legal services. Plans have been made to conduct at least 4 Mobile Camps a year.