What is Legal Aid?

Although legal aid is broadly defined by the government, essentially it is a way to provide a lawyer for people who could not otherwise afford one.

In many countries this means that no one is locked out from access to the legal system simply because they cannot afford a lawyer.

By contrast, in Australia, legal aid is generally only available for the very poorest people, and only if strict criteria are met. Every day, Australians are forced to represent themselves in court as legal aid will not be provided to assist in their case.

Obviously, this is not an ideal situation. It imposes a terrible burden on the individual as well as slows down all court processes and wastes a lot of the judges' time.

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Legal Aid Matters

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What is the legal sector doing to address this issue?

What does this campaign seek to achieve?

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