Highlights - November 2009
Highlights of the NSW Legal Assistance Forum (NLAF) meeting on 25 November 2009
The work of NLAF is focussed on three strategic areas:
- Meeting community need
- Policy and law reform
- Coordination and communication
Further information on NLAF activities is available at www.nlaf.org.au.
1. Meeting Community Need
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Working Group
The CALD Working Group submitted its final report. A copy of the report is available on the NLAF website.
A Liverpool Legal Services Group has been formed and will continue to meet to discuss legal service delivery issues. This initiative is a metropolitan adaptation of the Co-operative Legal Service Delivery Program that operates in regional NSW.
Copies of the legal information resources identified by the working group are indexed and available on the NLAF website. The resources are in English, Dinka and Arabic.
Legal Information of recently arrived migrants and refugees
NLAF collaborated with the Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) to organise a training day for settlement service officers. Training was provided by representatives from community legal centres and Legal Aid NSW about issues such as domestic violence, family law, tenancy and credit and debt. The training also included a discussion panel on legal issues.
RRR Working Group
The Law and Justice Foundation of NSW is undertaking a research project to examine the availability of lawyers for socially and economically disadvantaged people in RRR areas. The draft report is due in March / April 2010. The research is based on data received from, legal service providers such as Legal Aid NSW and CLCs about legal positions in RRR areas.
On 16 November 2009, the Law Society of NSW together with NLAF organised a seminar for legal professionals to provide information on working in public legal assistance agencies, particularly in RRR areas.
An ongoing initiative that arose from the working group is the opportunity for Legal Aid NSW, CLCs and ALS to advertise position vacancies on the Law Society website and Law Society publication ‘Monday Briefs’.
Prisoners Working Group
Communication and education subcommittee
The working group is developing a legal information webpage for prisoners. The initiative is being funded by Corrective Services NSW and Legal Aid NSW.
Communication with inmates subcommittee
There is ongoing consultation between Corrective Services NSW and the NLAF working group about initiatives to improve lawyer -inmate communication.
Family and civil Law needs of prisoners subcommittee
The group is examining family and civil law needs of prisoners. Members of the group are providing input into a proposed Legal Aid NSW training day for lawyers interested in undertaking legal outreach at prisons.
Working Group on Access to Civil Law for Aboriginal People
The working group has wound up and will be reformed if a further project is identified.
2. Coordination and communication
Domestic Violence Working Group
NLAF convened a Forum on 14 October 2009, attended by 30 representatives from state and federal government, service providers, courts and police to discuss coordination of legal services.
The following mapping documents were produced:
- Domestic violence training in NSW
- Domestic violence committees in NSW
- Domestic violence services in NSW Local Courts
- Domestic violence legal services in NSW
- Women’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Services
- Domestic violence scenarios and the roles played by agencies
These documents are available on the NLAF website.
The Forum also discussed possibilities for further collaboration.
NLAF decided to extend the timeframe for operation of the Domestic Violence Working Group until November 2010. NALF proposed revised terms of reference that involve undertaking the following activities:
- Hold a second Forum in April 2010 to provide input into the Australian Law Reform Commission Inquiry on the Harmonisation of Domestic Violence and Family Law.
- Draft a letter for signature by NLAF Chair to the Commonwealth Attorney General and the NSW Premier to offer NLAF input into relevant initiatives such as the Commonwealth National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Strategic Framework.
- Recommend to the Apprehended Violence Orders Legal Issues Coordinating Committee (AVLICC) that information on what to do if an ADVO is breached is placed on the back of court documents relating to ADVOs.
- Prepare a document of the best available CLE resources and promote this to service providers.
- Meet with representatives of peak NGOs to discuss how legal services can work more effectively with non-legal services to assist victims of domestic violence, particularly in the areas of pathways and training.
The DV Working Group will be chaired by Janet Loughman, Principal Solicitor, Women’s Legal Services NSW.
Legal Information Referral Forum (LIRF)
The quarterly meeting of LIRF focussed on family and civil law needs of Aboriginal people in NSW. Professor Chris Cunneen from the UNSW gave a presentation on research he did for Legal Aid NSW. The report is available online at http://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/asp/index.asp?pgid=792&cid=1047&id=6
The report analyses the civil and family law needs of Aboriginal people in NSW and explores how Legal Aid NSW might improve the services that they provide to Aboriginal clients in the areas of family and civil law.
Training Reference Group (TRG)
No report provided as there has not been a meeting since the August NLAF meeting. The next TRG meeting is scheduled for 11 March 2010. A representative of the Family Courts is scheduled to attend to discuss the “Less Adversarial trial DVD package”.
Other issues
NLAF Terms of Reference
The NLAF Terms of Reference were amended. A copy of the most recent version of the Terms of Reference is available on the NLAF website
Access to Justice Consultations
On 30 October 2009 NLAF members met with Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department to discuss the report ‘A Strategic Framework for Access to Justice in the Federal Civil Justice System’.
NLAF made written submissions in response to the report. A copy of the NLAF submission arising out of the Access to Justice consultations is available on the NLAF website.
NACLC Conference
Helen Campbell gave a presentation on behalf of NLAF at the NACLC Conference on 15 September 2009 as part of a joint session with QLAF, WALAF and the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department about “cooperative and collaborative” working relationships.
The next meeting of NLAF will be on Wednesday 10 March 2010.
