Bengkulu Ministry of Law Office inaugurates 51 paralegals and emphasises their social role

Bengkulu (ANTARA) - The Bengkulu Regional Office of the Ministry of Law has inaugurated 51 paralegals from the LBH Bhakti Alumni Universitas Bengkulu, while emphasising their social role in expanding access to justice for the community. “Paralegals are not only legal assistants but also community educators who bridge the gap between citizens and the legal system, as well as serving as agents of social change,” said the Head of the Bengkulu Regional Office of the Ministry of Law, Zulhairi, in Bengkulu on Wednesday. The inauguration, held at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Bengkulu, marked the culmination of a series of Paralegal Education and Training programmes conducted from 12 to 14 September 2025. The 51 participants, prior to inauguration, had undergone 18 hours of lessons and a three-month period of field actualisation practice. Through this process, the participants are entitled to hold the non-academic title of Certified Paralegal of Legal Aid (CPLA) as recognition of their competence in legal aid. The event is the result of synergy between the Bengkulu Ministry of Law, LBH Bhakti Alumni UNIB Bengkulu City, and the Faculty of Law, Universitas Bengkulu. Also present at the event were the Dean of the Faculty of Law UNIB, Yamani; the Head of the P3H Division of the Bengkulu Ministry of Law Regional Office, Tongam Renikson Silaban; and the Director of LBH Bhakti Alumni UNIB Bengkulu City, Panca Darmawan, along with their teams. The presence of these dozens of new paralegals aligns with the national strategic programme for establishing Legal Aid Posts in every village and sub-district across Indonesia. In Bengkulu Province itself, Zulhairi stated, there are 1,513 villages and sub-districts currently undergoing strengthening through the paralegal actualisation programme organised by the Bengkulu Ministry of Law. Zulhairi added that he hopes the inaugurated paralegals can become part of an active, progressive, and consistent legal aid ecosystem, particularly in resolving non-litigious disputes and increasing community legal awareness. With this inauguration, the paralegals are expected to immediately engage with the community and serve as the frontline in bringing the light of justice to their respective environments.