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The Australian Lawyers Alliance has called for a ‘significant’ increase to community legal service funding on the eve of the federal budget’s release.
In a statement requesting the commitment, ALA president Noor Blumer said “without access to services like legal aid and community legal centres many people with legitimate claims and legal issues have no chance of obtaining justice”.
In making the request, the ALA cited a 2014 Productivity Commission recommendation of an “immediate injection” of at least $120 million per year in additional funding for the legal assistance sector.
This included an additional $14.4 million for community legal centres, which would amount to at least $43.2 million between 2018-19 and 2020-21, ALA said.
Ms Blumer said that “not only has the government failed to deliver on this recommendation to date but alarmingly there are cuts planned to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) budget”.
“If these cuts proceed, this government will be responsible for exacerbating the legal injustices and mass incarcerations already being experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” she considered.
Calling access to justice a “foundation issue” for the ALA, Ms Blumer stated that “inadequate funding for legal aid and community legal centres undermines the ability of individuals to see protection and exercise their rights under the law”.
She noted “people are already falling through the cracks and more services are needed to ensure access to timely, essential legal advice”.
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Grace Ormsby
