What does this campaign seek to achieve?

This campaign aims to improve access to justice for all Australians. The Law Council and its constituent bodies want the Government make legal assistance sector funding a priority issue and to ensure a cooperative, nationally consistent and fair approach to provision of legal aid.

The Commonwealth Government should:

• Develop a National Partnership Agreement with the States/Territories which is based on national goals, as distinct from Commonwealth or State goals.
• Short Term: Restore per capita funding to Legal Aid Commissions to 1997 levels. This would require a $43.2 million increase in the 2010-11 Commonwealth Budget.
• Longer Term: Restore Commonwealth share of Legal Aid Commission funding to 50% (up from 32%). This would require an additional recurrent expenditure of $220 million.
• Make the Commonwealth increase conditional on States/Territories maintaining their funding levels.
• Increase funding to community legal centres and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services, in the latter case to ensure parity in services and conditions with legal aid commissions.

State Governments should:

• Agree to the involvement of the legal profession in the negotiation of the new National Partnership Agreements.
• Provide a guaranteed ‘floor' under State funding levels, which is maintained regardless of fluctuations in public purpose funds.
• Maintain current funding levels regardless of any increase in Commonwealth funds.

Index

Legal Aid Matters

What is Legal Aid?

Why is this an important issue?

What is the legal sector doing to address this issue?

Support the Campaign

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