Category Archives: Annual General Meeting

What’s the future of free legal help in Victoria?

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Thursday 13 October 2016 – embargoed until 12.00am Friday 14 October 2016

The future of free legal help in Victoria will be the focus of a symposium at Melbourne Town Hall tomorrow (Friday 14 October). Achieving Justice will bring together community legal centres, Victoria Legal Aid, the Victorian Council of Social Service, Domestic Violence Victoria and key not-for-profit organisations working for social justice.

‘With the release of the Victorian Government’s Access to Justice Review amid extraordinary pressures on community legal centres facing imminent Federal Government cuts, this symposium is a vital opportunity to look at the serious challenges to accessible free legal help, but also the opportunities to strengthen how we assist vulnerable people,’ said Serina McDuff, executive officer of the Federation of Community Legal Centres, today.

The review acknowledged under-funding across legal help services, calling for increased State and Federal investment, echoing the 2014 Productivity Commission, which recommended an immediate boost to community legal centres, legal aid commissions and Aboriginal legal services of at least $200 million a year.

‘The advocates brought together at this symposium will show that meeting the legal and broader needs of the most vulnerable people is a collaborative effort that needs to be sustainably funded.

‘The review also acknowledged the value and importance of integrated service delivery, which is how community legal centres have been working for decades to ensure vulnerable Victorians facing complex social, financial and legal issues receive the help they need.

‘The symposium will also show how advocates are working to drive positive change and innovate through technology to address serious problems like family violence,’ McDuff said.

Domestic Violence Victoria CEO Fiona McCormack will address the Federation’s annual general meeting (12.30–1.30pm), and the symposium will conclude with a family violence panel of leading community legal centres.

In 2015–16, Victorian community legal centres saw a 19 per cent spike in demand for free legal advice for family violence, and there was a 12 per cent increase in the number of family violence cases opened. Family violence intervention orders are the top legal problem type for Victorian community legal centres.

Achieving Justice will be held at Melbourne Town Hall from 9.00am on Friday 14 October 2016. The event is open to media.

The Federation of Community Legal Centres is the peak body for 49 community legal centres in Victoria.

Download this media release (PDF)

Download Federation 2015–16 annual report

For media interview and information

Serina McDuff
Executive Officer
Federation of Community Legal Centres
0451 411 479

Darren Lewin-Hill
Communications Manager
Federation of Community Legal Centres
0488 773 535

Federation welcomes new chair for 2015-16

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Belinda Lo has been elected as the new chair of the Federation’s committee of management for 2015–16.

Belinda has worked as a community lawyer since 2001 following private practice and a role as a judge’s associate. Bee has volunteered and worked with various community legal centres (CLCs) including Darebin, Youthlaw, Broadmeadows, Whittlesea, Fitzroy and Eastern CLC where she is the centre’s current principal lawyer.

Bee’s work has mainly focused on advocating for the rights of  victims of family violence and sexual assault – work that has included legal advocacy, law reform and education.

The Federation thanks Barwon Community Legal Service Executive Officer Nick Hudson for serving as chair for the past four years. Nick remains on the committee of management.

For the full membership of the Federation’s committee of management for 2015–16, see the Community Law website. Our 2014–15 annual report is now also available online.

Annual report shows community legal centres achieving change together

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Federation of Community Legal Centres Annual Report 2014-15The 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 →

New leadership needed to end family violence

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The appointment of Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister will be an empty change unless the Federal Government matches its claimed commitment to end family violence with action to fund services and respect their right to advocate.

‘For this change to be meaningful, we need strong leadership ensuring all women facing family violence can get free legal help from a community legal centre,’ said Liana Buchanan, Executive Officer of the Federation of Community Legal Centres, today. Continue reading →

Symposium and AGM reflect a strong year for community legal centres

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From left: Julian Gardner, Michael Smith, Bevan Warner, Carolyn Bond and Nicole Bieske on the symposium panel, CLCs: Where have we come from and what lies ahead?

From left: Julian Gardner, Michael Smith, Bevan Warner, Carolyn Bond and Nicole Bieske on the symposium panel, CLCs: Where have we come from and what lies ahead?

Yesterday’s Victorian CLCs Symposium 2014 and Federation Annual General Meeting reflected a strong year for community legal centres. Held at the Melbourne Town Hall, the events attracted around 160 people from the State’s 50 community legal centres and from stakeholder organisations. Continue reading →

Victorian community legal centre symposium to explore courage, change and commitment to community

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Symposium_Program_PicA symposium this Thursday at Melbourne Town Hall will explore community legal centres through the theme of courage, change and commitment to community.

The Victorian CLCs Symposium 2014 will feature three plenary sessions complemented by panel discussions, workshops and project presentations, to be followed by the Federation’s 2014 Annual General Meeting.

As first plenary, Julian Gardner, Australia’s first full-time community lawyer and current Chair of Mind Australia, will speak on where community legal centres have come from and what lies ahead.

ACOSS Chief Executive Officer, Dr Cassandra Goldie will feature in a second plenary on the power to achieve change.

Victorian Attorney-General, the Hon. Robert Clark MP and Shadow Attorney-General, the Hon. Martin Pakula MP will then speak on the real work and worth of community legal centres today.

Continue reading →