ENSURING LEGAL AID RIGHTS FOR INDIGENT SUSPECTS DURING INVESTIGATIONS AT JAMBI CITY POLICE

Abstract

Access to legal aid is essential to ensuring that financial disadvantage does not prevent suspects from exercising their defence rights during criminal investigations. This study examines the legal framework governing assistance for indigent suspects and develops criteria for assessing its fulfilment at Jambi City Police. The research adopts a normative legal design using statutory and conceptual approaches. Primary and secondary legal materials are examined through grammatical and systematic interpretation and qualitative legal argumentation. The analysis identifies five interconnected dimensions of rights fulfilment: understandable notification of rights, identification of financial eligibility and legal needs, timely referral and access, independent and meaningful representation, and continuity supported by documentation and complaints mechanisms. The findings indicate that notification and appointment alone do not demonstrate effective assistance. Assessment must establish whether suspects can obtain advice, communicate confidentially with counsel, and receive continuing support during relevant investigative procedures. The study concludes that legal aid delivery requires coordinated institutional responsibilities connecting statutory guarantees with accessible services. It recommends clear referral procedures, understandable information, reliable provider contact arrangements, and accountable follow-up when assistance is interrupted. The findings remain doctrinal because no verified investigation records, interviews, or observations from Jambi City Police were examined. Future empirical research should apply the framework to documented cases within a defined period to evaluate actual implementation.