Questão jurídica principal
Whether the appellant was entitled to free legal aid despite having dissipated assets during pending proceedings.
Decisão extraída
No. A person who intentionally or knowingly disposes of assets during ongoing proceedings in order to qualify for legal aid acts abusively and is not protected.
Fundamentação extraída
Although legal aid is generally granted irrespective of fault for indigence, the exercise of rights remains subject to abuse-of-right principles. The court found that the appellant still had sufficient funds at the start of the litigation and continuously consumed his assets while knowing that litigation costs remained unpaid; this made the request abusive.