Page 2932 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 30 June 2010

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The Assembly voted—

Question so resolved in the affirmative.

Motion, as amended, agreed to.

Community legal centres

MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo) (4.34): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) notes:

(a) equitable access to justice is a cornerstone of a modern democratic society;

(b) one measure of access to justice is the individual’s ability to get the advice of a lawyer when faced with legal issues;

(c) that unmet legal need occurs when people cannot secure the assistance of a lawyer and that the negative impacts of unmet need include:

(i) specifically, people being forced to self-represent themselves in court; and

(ii) generally, a lack of awareness of rights and how they might be enforced;

(d) the important role community legal centres (CLCs) play in catching people who would otherwise fall through the cracks because they cannot afford a private lawyer and do not qualify for legal aid;

(e) due to cramped office conditions, CLCs are not operating at capacity because they cannot supply a work desk for all funded staff positions and are forced to reject offers of additional pro bono legal work; and

(f) the Survey of Legal Needs in Australia, due for release in September 2011, which was commissioned by Legal Aid Commissions to give a jurisdiction by jurisdiction snap shot of unmet legal need; and

(2) calls on the Government to work with CLCs to reduce the number of people falling through the cracks by:

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