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37-667: Redfern Legal Centre ( RLC ) is an independent, non-profit community legal centre established in 1977 and located in the Sydney inner-city of Redfern , New South Wales . It is part of a network of four inner-Sydney region community legal centres, including the Inner City, Kingsford, and Marrickville Legal Centres. Redfern Legal Centre is a member of Community Legal Centres NSW, the state peak representative body for community legal centres in NSW and also Community Legal Centres Australia ,

74-550: A heavy caseload. Daytime volunteers tend to be law students or members of the community. Night-time volunteers are solicitors and legal assistants who attend appointments and give legal advice. RLC estimates it attracts approximately 30,000 volunteer hours per year or the equivalent of $ 900,000 worth of services to the community each year. RLC received the 2007 Human Rights Law Award from the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission . In particular

111-545: A large number of CLCs, many of which provide services to their local area. Some of those which provide services statewide include: The peak body for CLCs in Queensland is Community Legal Centres Queensland (CLCQ). Community Legal Centres South Australian Inc. (CLCSA) is the peak body for all Community Legal Centres in South Australia. There is a network of centres which are allocated to different zones across

148-632: A number of local centres including the Fitzroy Legal Service which was established on 18 December 1972, making it Australia's first non-Aboriginal community legal centre. The Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC) is primarily a "campaign-focused consumer advocacy organisation", but also acts as a CLC by providing free legal advice and pursuing litigation on behalf of "vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers" across Victoria. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) are independent, non-profit, non-government bodies that provide

185-491: A range of culturally sensitive services to Indigenous Australians. Their main focus is criminal and family law, and eligibility is limited to those on low incomes. They also advocate for law and policy changes, such as those which have a bearing upon the high rate of Indigenous incarceration in Australian prisons . The Law Council of Australia is a strong ally. The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), established in 1970,

222-512: A range of services, including information, legal advice and representation in courts and tribunals. Information and services including telephone advice are often free of charge, but there is a means test for eligibility for legal representation . They often assist those who need help with serious criminal law matters, or child protection and family matters involving a child's welfare. Australia has eight Legal Aid Commissions: Victoria Legal Aid Victoria Legal Aid ( VLA ), formerly

259-480: Is Camilla Paldolfini. Jacqui Swinburne acts as the Chief Operations Officer along with Alexis Goodstone as Principal Solicitor forming the senior management of the organisation. The centre is supported by the board, with Kerry O’Brien acting as chair of the board and Tamara Sims as secretary. The RLC relies heavily on volunteer labour and pro-bono assistance from legal professionals to service

296-730: Is from the public purpose fund, made up of interest paid on money that is collected by the Legal Services Board from solicitors' trust accounts. As of 2020 , Louise Glanville is CEO . The idea of legal aid is more than 100 years old in Victoria. Before 1928 only prisoners or very poor people could apply to the Supreme Court for legal aid. By 1969, new legislation made the Legal Aid Committee responsible for civil and minor criminal cases, resulting in

333-842: Is the peak body, as of 2020 representing: ATSILS and other stakeholders were alarmed by the announcement of the new single national mechanism for funding all legal services , to take effect from July 2020. The Human Rights Law Centre , the Law Council and others called upon the government to retain ILAP. NATSILS, established in 2007, has close links with the Coalition of Peaks , the SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children (formerly Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care ), National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services , Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), and

370-481: Is the umbrella organisation for eight state and territory CLC associations. While some CLCs have developed close links with others, centres, for the most part, serve their own particular geographic or special interest communities, such as family law and family violence , credit and debt, consumer law , social security , migration , tenancy law , discrimination, employment law and child protection . Some centres focus on providing services for particular segments of

407-451: The Botany , Leichhardt , and City of Sydney municipal areas. Many of those seeking assistance are ineligible for legal aid but still cannot afford private legal services. A high proportion of the centre's clients are from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The RLC is dedicated to community legal education and advocates for

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444-727: The Legal Aid Act 1978 . It has a Chairperson and six directors nominated by the Victorian Attorney-General and appointed by the Governor-in-Council. At least one member must have experience in financial management; at least one must have experience in public management; at least one must have experience with criminal proceedings (either as a legal practitioner or a judicial officer) and at least one must have experience in other areas of legal practice engaged in by Victoria Legal Aid or its officers. When

481-640: The Legal Aid Commission of Victoria , is an Australian organisation that provides information, legal advice and education . As a statutory authority , VLA operates under the Legal Aid Act 1978 and is funded by the Australian Government for matters that fall under Commonwealth law, and the Victorian state government . The majority of Commonwealth law matters fall within the family law jurisdiction. Another source of funding

518-688: The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommendation, to support Aboriginal people who have been taken into police custody . Statewide CLCs in Tasmania include: There are also regional CLCs in Hobart, Launceston and North West Tasmania . In Victoria , the peak body is the Federation of Community Legal Centres. Statewide specialist CLCs include: There are also

555-753: The "National Strategic Framework for Legal Assistance", published in 2019. This document outlines six guiding principles, and also states: "The principles of the National Strategic Framework should be applied consistently in a manner which supports self-determination and the National Partnership on Closing the Gap ". As of 2024 NLAP, a national partnership agreement between the Australian Government and all states and territories for all legal assistance funded by

592-533: The 1960s and which found expression in the anti-war and women's movements , Aboriginal rights campaigns, and other pushes for far-reaching social change in both the Australian and global contexts. However, CLCs are a unique expression of these social justice and protest movements and do not claim particular ties to any other campaigns. Throughout their history different CLCs have usually held common platforms in only general, rather than specific, terms. When

629-696: The Australian Legal Aid Office. The Legal Aid Commission of Victoria (LACV) was set up in 1978.with an 11-member board. Victoria Legal Aid replaced the LACV in December 1995. VLA has a board of directors, a chief executive officer, three large in-house legal practice directorates, an in-house advocacy team, and legal and corporate support functions. The Board is responsible for ensuring Victoria Legal Aid meets its statutory objectives and carries out its functions and duties in accordance with

666-722: The Law Council of Australia. As of February 2024 the chair is Karly Warner, CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), and deputy chair is Nerita Waight, CEO of VALS. Australia has about 30 Indigenous Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS). The National Family Violence Prevention and Legal Services Forum (National FVPLS Forum), established in May 2012, as of September 2020 represents thirteen Family Violence Prevention Legal Service (FVPLS) member organisations. Legal Aid Commissions (LACs) are state and territory independent statutory bodies which provide

703-462: The NSW police for their unlawful use of strip searches. They have also referred a case involving a NSW police officer allegedly assaulting an indigenous teenager to the independent police watchdog. The centre also provides specific legal advice in the following areas. RLC has over 20 staff members split between this general legal team, Inner Sydney Tenancy Advice & Advocacy Service and administration and management. The current Chief Executive Officer

740-681: The National Partnership Agreement on Legal Assistance Services 2015-2020 (NPA) and the Indigenous Legal Assistance Program (ILAP) were undertaken in 2018. On 2 April 2019 the Attorney-General , Christian Porter , said that "guaranteeing stable and long-term funding certainty for legal services delivered by Legal Aid Commissions (LACs), Community Legal Centres (CLCs) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS)

777-621: The UK by law centres and in New Zealand they are called community law centres. Community legal centres are partly funded by a complex and variable mix of state and federal government monies, offered both directly (such as through grants ) and indirectly. They are also funded by the proceeds of casework. However, they rely heavily upon the efforts and support of extensive volunteer networks, both lawyers and non-lawyers, to staff them without payment, without whom they would not survive. Reviews of

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814-492: The award recognised the establishment of the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Scheme (WDVCAS) which aims to provide women seeking restraining orders as a result of domestic violence with legal advice as well as any other support required (including housing, income support and counselling). Community Legal Centre The peak body is Community Legal Centres Australia . CLCs are

851-580: The demystification of the law and the empowerment of communities in their relation to the law, particularly by encouraging communities to be involved in their activities. They develop and facilitate partnerships between providers of legal assistance and legal and non-legal services (such as domestic violence organisations, community health organisations, housing services, drug and alcohol services). They may also undertake test case litigation, critique police powers and behaviours, and monitor prisons systems and conditions. Equivalent services are provided in

888-459: The equivalent of law centres in the UK and community law centres in New Zealand. There are as of 2020 eight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services ( ATSILS ), with similar characteristics to CLCs. There are also eight Legal Aid Commissions ( LAC s), which are state and territory government agencies, such as Victoria Legal Aid , which administers Commonwealth and state government funding of CLCs. The Aboriginal Legal Service

925-614: The federal government, provides funding for services delivered by: LACs, CLCs, and ATSILS. An independent review of NLAP has been undertaken, with the final review to be published on 29 February 2024. Community legal centres in the Australian Capital Territory include: Community law centres in New South Wales include: CLCs serving the Northern Territory include: Queensland has

962-473: The first Victorian CLCs were established, they were often resisted by a legal establishment that was defensive about CLCs' criticisms of the elitism or inaccessibility of the legal professions, suspicious of CLCs' aims and methods, and concerned about protecting profits. However, soon after the Fraser government came to power in December 1975, some members of the wider legal profession had begun to acknowledge

999-676: The importance of CLCs in improving the public's access to the law. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, CLCs consolidated their position in the Victorian and wider Australian legal landscape, forging ties with different government and legal organisations (such as various state legal aid commissions). CLCs are independent, not-for-profit, community-based organisations providing a range of services to people in Australia, including people experiencing discrimination and disadvantage. As of 2020 , there are about 180 CLCs. Community Legal Centres Australia

1036-608: The national peak representative body for community legal centres across Australia. Redfern Legal Centre should not be confused with the Aboriginal Legal Service , also located in Redfern, which was the first free legal service in Australia and founded in 1970. The RLC is dedicated to promoting social justice and human rights and provides free legal advice, referral, and casework to disadvantaged people and groups who live with its catchment area, which extends to

1073-400: The needs and challenges of jurisdictions in which legal aid services are provided. The primary function of Victoria Legal Aid Chambers (Chambers) is to provide high quality advocacy for legally aided clients in civil, criminal and family, youth and children’s law matters and to conduct strategic litigation to remedy a legal problem or change a policy or process to benefit an individual client and

1110-512: The population, such as women, refugees and asylum seekers , older persons , children and youth, people with disabilities or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Centres provide various legal services, including legal advice and traditional casework, to individuals at little or no cost, as well as undertaking early intervention and preventative strategies, such as community education and development in legal skills, and engaging in advocacy for policy and law reform . They emphasise

1147-565: The position of Managing Director at VLA was changed to Chief Executive Officer in November 2018, there was a vacancy on the Board. This position has since been filled by Andrew Saunders. The Chief Executive Officer cannot be appointed to the Board. • Civil Justice Program • Criminal Law Program • Family, Youth and Children's Law Program Victoria Legal Aid maintains an in-house advocacy practice to ensure it has thorough and practical knowledge of

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1184-417: The reform of inequalities in laws, the legal system, administrative practices and society as a whole. The RLC is a general community legal centre providing free legal advice to the community in a number of key areas. The centre has been involved in key cases and areas of law reform with an increased focus on police accountability. In 2020, RLC launched an investigation into a potential class action suit against

1221-488: The state, as well as specialist services which focus on areas such as homelessness , Aboriginal family violence, asylum seekers, women, consumer credit and other areas. The Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM), founded as the result of a grassroots movement in 1972, is an independent Aboriginal community-controlled organisation governed by an all-Aboriginal Board, which provides legal services as well as acting as an advocacy and lobby group for Aboriginal people across

1258-564: The state. It has also operated the state's Custody Notification Service informally for some time, but the change in law to make it compulsory for SAPOL to notify ALRM only took effect on 2 July 2020, after the Black Lives Matter protests had highlighted the issue of Aboriginal Deaths in Custody . The move was welcomed by ALRM, which had been lobbying for it for years. ALRM also represents families at coronial inquests and runs an Aboriginal Visitors Scheme (AVS) in response to

1295-745: Was founded in 1970 in Redfern, Sydney , to provide services to Aboriginal Australians , and was the first free legal service in Australia. CLCs were subsequently established in Victoria in the early 1970s and spread quite rapidly to other states and territories . Although from the outset they shared some similarities with the already established American "neighbourhood law offices" and British law centres , in their insistence upon effecting systemic change and their largely voluntary support base they had characteristics distinct from each. They grew out of broader concerns for social justice that gained momentum in

1332-519: Was part of the [Morrison] Government 's plan for a stronger economy" and baseline funding would be increased from A$ 350.3 million in 2019-20 to A$ 370.0 million (indexed) ongoing from 1 July 2020. The announcement included plans for a single national mechanism to deliver legal assistance funding from 1 July 2020. The 2018 reviews informed the National Legal Assistance Partnership (NLAP) 2020-25, which supports

1369-469: Was the first dedicated Aboriginal legal service, and can be regarded as the first ATSILS. The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (established 1973 ) has been providing legal services under contract in Victoria since April 2005, and the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia for WA. The system was expanded to Queensland that June, and to additional States and Territories thereafter. NATSILS (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services)

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