Page 1275 - Week 05 - Thursday, 25 June 1992
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LEGAL AFFAIRS - STANDING COMMITTEE
Inquiry into the Accessibility of the Legal System
MR MOORE (11.37): I move:
That the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs:
(1) Inquire into and report on the accessibility of the legal system addressing the following questions:
(a) which socio-economic groups are disadvantaged and given advantage under the current legal system;
(b) how accessible is the legal system across the socio-economic spectrum;
(c) how can the legal system be made more accessible;
(d) are legal charges reasonable compared to other professions;
(e) should the legal profession retain control over conveyancing of property or should the ACT adopt a similar Land Brokerage system as used in South Australia and elsewhere; and
(f) any other question the Committee considers relevant.
(2) The Committee to report to the ACT Legislative Assembly by the first sitting in April 1993.
Madam Speaker, one of the burning questions at the moment with reference to the law is accessibility to the law. It seems to me that some strides have been made in ensuring that those in our community who have a need for access to the law, and who have been particularly disadvantaged, get that access, by such means as legal aid and various other methods. However, there are still some concerns that some people are not getting reasonable access to the law. Often that has to do with what is perceived as quality in terms of the legal profession. I do not believe that that is necessarily the case.
The other point that it is most important to raise here, Madam Speaker, is the fact that people in the middle of our society, those who are not so poor that they can access legal aid but are perhaps what may be described as lower middle class, seem to have a great deal of difficulty in getting access to reasonable legal representation. Those with money to burn can access the best legal representation and that gives them significant advantage. That is, of course, the burning question. That is why I have moved that the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs look at this matter.
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