National Legal Aid welcomes the 1 July ‘go live’ date of the National Access to Justice Partnership.
The NAJP includes an investment of $3.9 billion over 5 years in the legal assistance sector, including an $800 million increase in funding.
This has guaranteed ongoing funding for critical programs assisting women and children experiencing gender-based violence, and for Legal Aids has cemented their work in delivering family law legal representation, Family Advocacy and Support Services, Domestic Violence Units and Respect@Work legal assistance services.
We know there is still much more to be achieved in supporting people experiencing disadvantage who need legal assistance.
Legal Aid Commissions are the main providers of family law legal representation in Australia for people experiencing disadvantage and approximately 86% of all matters include a risk of domestic and family violence.
Securing additional funding for the legal assistance sector is critical to improving access to justice for disadvantaged women and children and ending gender-based violence.
Limited funding for Legal Aids has resulted in a crisis in the sustainability of private lawyers that undertake over 70% of legal aid work, due to the low fees paid. Our recent NLA Private Practitioner Census showed that about a third of private practitioners are looking to stop legal aid work in the lifetime of the NAJP.
NLA has called for the Standing Council of Attorneys-General to commit to a review of private lawyer fees, grants and funding options.
Due to funding constraints there will also be no increase to the Legal Aid means test, which will continue to limit access to Legal Aid to only 8% of Australian households, resulting in clients needing to be well under the poverty line to access legal representation.
NLA is looking forward to working with the Attorney-General in improving access to justice for our disadvantaged communities and achieving outcomes through the lifetime of the new National Access to Justice Partnership.