Biden will sign a memorandum directing the Department of Justice to restore key functions of the shuttered Access to Justice Office and to reestablish the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable. The pandemic “has further exposed and exacerbated inequities in our justice system” as legal services were curtailed, Biden wrote. His proposed budget seeks $1.5 billion to strengthen state and local criminal justice systems, including public defenders. Civil rights organizations and leaders have been pressing the Biden administration to reestablish the Access to Justice Office and its work. The announcement comes as the Biden Justice Department has been refocusing the agency around civil rights, prioritizing policing reform measures and combating racial discrimination.

Source: Egypt Independent May 18, 2021 09:56 UTC