The National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC) welcomes the announcement made by the Commonwealth Attorney-General today that the funding cuts to community legal centres (CLCs) included in the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) 2013, will be reversed.
Community Legal Centres NSW (CLCNSW) last week provided additional information to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women about the recent changes to the NSW victim’s compensation scheme.
Community Legal Centres in NSW call on MPs to amend new child protection laws introduced to Parliament last week. Community Legal Centres are concerned that the child protection system will be sped up to make it easier to remove children irrespective of what’s in the child’s best interests.
Legal, health, women’s, youth and community organisations have written to Minister Goward about proposed changes to child protection laws in NSW. In an open letter to the Minister, these organisations have expressed their concerns that changes to child protection laws may disproportionately impact on vulnerable and disadvantaged families, without giving careful consideration to the best interests of the child.
Community Legal Centres NSW (CLCNSW) is extremely disappointed that the NSW Parliament has passed legislation abolishing the Victims Compensation Scheme, only to replace it with a scheme that fails victims of some of the most serious crimes, including sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.
CLCNSW welcomes the statement today by the NSW Attorney General Greg Smith SC that funding for legal services should be directed to those who cannot afford legal advice and for matters which are in the public interest. For over 40 years, Community Legal Centres (CLCs) have been providing services to people who have been shut out of the legal system. People who are experiencing housing issues, have a disability or are attempting to escape family violence have all benefitted from the work CLCs do.
Eighty leading legal, human rights, health, community and women’s organisations have called on the NSW Attorney-General to retain and strengthen the NSW compensation scheme for victims of violent crime.
Community lawyers are significantly underpaid compared to their counterparts in the government and private sector, according to a joint submission lodged in the Fair Work Australia Community Sector Equal Pay Case. The submission, by the Victorian Federation of Community Legal Centres and Community Legal Centres NSW, calls for significant increases in community legal centre (CLC) pay rates.
Lawyers, Academics and Community Organisations Call on Government to Release Report into Haneef Case
A coalition of lawyers, academics and community organisations has today called upon the Attorney-General to publicly release the report of the Clarke Inquiry into the case of Dr Mohamed Haneef.