[3] Due to its historical influence, predominantly during the post-Suharto era, it is regarded by some as an institution that works with cases that have the ability of serving justice, but also further the aim of better developing political rationales.
In addition they received hundreds of reports dealing with civil society and political concerns, human rights, and women and children issues.
[4] The Legal Aid Institute of Jakarta was established in 1969 following discussion at the third congress of the Indonesian Advocacy Association, and founded by Dr. Albert Hasibuan with the help of Professor Dr. Adnan Buyung Nasution.
Despite this, LBH has played a historical role in the creation of what is now the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), and been a key player in human rights cases throughout Indonesia.
[5] LBH was created with the idea of Bantuan Hukum Struktural (Structural Legal Aid) at the forefront of Nasution's motivation for what the institution would eventually become.
[6] During this time law was hardly effective, which was one of the primary reasons Nasution kept structural legal aid at the forefront of LBH.
Numerous new formal structures like the National Law Commission and Constitutional Commission were entrenched,[7] and the post-Suharto removal of restrictions on political activity, helped to facilitate and further anti-corruption activity; by 2000 approximately 450 legally oriented NGOs were identified, while the more exact numbers were estimated to be in the thousands.
Communal conflict increased in cases explicitly regarding violence against small ethnic groups, women and the lower-class community.
These may include various forms of research, publication and community education; through this model LBH also engages in the discussion and questioning of numerous government policies and practices that breach the legal rights of Indonesia's citizens.
Given that the approach is quite broad, the institution was operating with various lawyers and legal aid workers of different competencies when it came to the handling of non-court based activities.
The attacks on the activists were so violent than an eye-witness claimed to have lost consciousness at the sight of seeing real forms of torture.
The attack was provoked by the belief that an event associated to the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) was being held inside the building.
After protestors returned the next day, and were met with police resistance, a mob attacked the building at 1:22 am on the Monday morning, resulting in physical damage.
Legal aid NGOs operated off of minimal decrees issued on behalf of the Indonesian Supreme Court, and the Advocates Law of 2003.
"[1] Due to the socio-political nature of what unites and drives cause lawyers, they address such issues with the aim of achieving a means of greater social justice, like changing laws or regulations.
The lawyers within LBH take initiative in seeking judicial review of policies, convictions, and government decisions in general, in forms relevant to court action Funding for the Legal Aid Institute of Jakarta has been tumultuous.
However, LBH has been able to obtain financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency [CIDA], the Partnership Governance Reform in Indonesia [PGRI] and through local donations from the public.
These cases are also examples of the institutions' public interest litigation agenda they have pursued since its early years of implementation.
LBH Jakarta has brought cases for judicial review of legislation to the constitutional court, including aforementioned Blasphemy Law in 2010, and in 2012–13.