State Coroner Ian Gray has today heeded key recommendations from a joint community legal centre submission in his findings in the inquest of Sargun Ragi, which were handed down this morning.
Sargun Ragi was killed by her partner in October 2012, and her death has prompted searching ques-tions about how the family violence system can better protect women who report a partner’s violence to immigration authorities. Continue reading
The annual report for the Federation of Community Legal Centres shows 2014–15 was a year that saw the Federation and our member centres achieving change together.
As highlighted in the Chairperson and Executive Officer’s report, Victorian CLCs helped more than 150,000 people this year with serious legal problems related to their housing, debts, infringements, safety, relationship breakdown, and much, much more. Continue reading
An eminent panel including Leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Richard Di Natale, Federal Labor MP Tim Watts, Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough and leading community lawyers will today (1.30pm) consider the value of ‘last resort’ free legal help by community legal centres, and key challenges that Victorian centres continue to face as they work daily to deliver justice for disadvantaged Victorians. Continue reading
Following an election commitment, the Victorian Government yesterday announced an access to justice review spanning legal assistance services including legal aid, pro bono legal help and community legal centres.
The review will provide a vital opportunity to focus on the national access to justice crisis from a Victorian perspective, including a consideration of the Productivity Commission’s recommendations and the impacts of the National Partnership Agreement on Legal Assistance Services, which will see community legal centres lose nearly 30 per cent of their Federal funding in 2017.
The review is now open for submissions addressing the terms of reference.
The Federation will be making a submission to the review, as well as coordinating and supporting submissions from its 50 member community legal centres.
For media inquiries, contact Darren Lewin-Hill, communications manager, on 0488 773 535.
Related information
The Victorian State Government has announced recipients of $3.2 million in grants to community legal centres through the Community Legal Centre Assistance Fund and the Family Violence Duty Lawyer Fund at an event held at West Justice Community Legal Centre this morning.
Attorney-General Martin Pakula MP announced the funding, with 28 centres receiving assistance funding and 23 centres receiving duty lawyer funding to bolster services for disadvantaged Victorians, including women and children facing family violence.
The full list of centres receiving funding and the funding amounts can be found in the Attorney-General’s media release.
