Estimated 500,000 Australians Missing out on Legal Assistance Every Year
Wednesday 18 July 2012 @ 9.58 a.m. | Legal Research
"Community Law Australia" launched its campaign in Canberra on 16 July 2012 to improve access to legal services across the country and ensure that people in need are not missing out on legal support.
In its media release Community Law Australia states "an estimated 500,000 Australians are missing out on legal assistance every year".
It has released a new report "Unaffordable and out of reach: The problem of access to the Australian legal system".
Campaign spokesperson Hugh de Kretser said that:
"the crisis in access to the legal system was caused by the high cost of legal fees
and the chronic underfunding of free legal services like community legal centres.
An estimated 500,000 Australians each year are missing out on the legal help they
need, mainly for financial reasons.
People don’t budget for legal fees for issues like marriage breakdown, unfair dismissal, eviction, discrimination, getting ripped off or debt problems. Most Australians would find it difficult to pay for a lawyer for anything but the most basic legal issue. When they turn to government funded legal services for help, they find that due to chronic funding shortages, many people can’t get the help they need.
Community legal centres are often the first port of call and help many people who can’t afford the cost of a private lawyer but don’t qualify for help from a legal aid commission."
For more information see www.communitylawaustralia.org.au
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