Community Legal Centres Under Fire Alison Evans (edited by Claire Flynn)
Victoria's Community Legal centres (CLCs) are currently facing funding
pressures that could see the loss of inner city CLCs or a serious
curtailment of their activities in the local community.
The Victorian community legal centres are independent organisations that
aim to ensure access to justice for people without big bucks, regardless of
the type of legal problem they have. From the initial set-up of Fitzroy
Legal Service in the 1970s, CLCs developed in response to a common
community perception that the traditional legal system was complicit in
social injustice.
The issue at hand stems from disagreement between the State and the Federal
government over funding of community legal centres. Both departments have
used information from the controversial 'Review' of the 'Victorian
Commonwealth State Community Legal Centre Funding Program', conducted by
The Implementation Advisory Group (IAG). One chief aim of the Review was to
determine whether the distribution of CLC services resources was consistent
and equitable. Proposals made would involve draining money from the
well-developed inner-city centres to be redistributed to outer-suburban
CLC's. While no-one disputes the desperate need for better-resourced
community legal services elsewhere in Victoria, the solution should not be
to decrease funding to inner-city legal services.
Victoria is not alone in being subjected to a decreased level of Federal
Government funding to community legal aid. These cuts have occurred despite
population growth around Australia with a concurrent increase in
litigation, higher legal costs and high levels of unemployment, all
resulting in more eligible applicants for legal aid that need to compete
for public money. It is increasingly important to maintain informed
community-based legal centres that have earned respect from those people in
the community they are designed to help.
For more information, or to join the BAG the IAG campaign, contact the
Fitzroy Legal Service on (03) 9411 1308.
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Ruby Nolan
Media Officer
Farrago
Melbourne University Student Union Inc.*
First Floor, Union House
University of Melbourne VIC 3010
phone: +61 3 8344 6957
fax: +61 3 9349 4945
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
web: www.union.unimelb.edu.au
* Incorporated in Victoria Reg. No. A0017677L
* Australian Business Number 71 639 615 753
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