Current Working Groups

• Working Group on Domestic Violence
• Working Group on Availability of Lawyers for Disadvantaged People in Remote, Rural and Regional NSW
• Working Group on the Legal Needs of Prisoners
• Legal Information and Referral Forum (Reporting Function)
• Legal Services Training Reference Group (Reporting Function)

Previous Working Groups

• Working Group on the Legal Needs of Older People
• Working Group on Mental Illness and Access to Legal Services
• Working Group on Interpreter Services
• Working Group on Care and Protection
• Working Group on Access to Justice for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities
• Working Group on Access to Civil Law for Aboriginal People
• Working Group on Conflict of Interest

• Background to establishment of NLAF Domestic Violence Working Group

1. Hold a forum in May 2010 to create an opportunity for organisations working in the domestic violence sector to provide input into the joint Australian Law Reform Commission and NSW Law Reform Commission Family Violence Inquiry
2. 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.
3. Suggest to the Chief Magistrate’s Office that court documents relating to ADVOs be amended to include information, addressed to victims of domestic violence, about what to do if an ADVO is breached.
4. Prepare a document of the best available CLE resources and promote this to service providers.
5. 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 referral pathways and training about legal issues.

• Summary of discussions at Family Violence Forum
• Summary of questions and proposals in the Family Violence Inquiry Consultation Paper relating to RRR issues

• NLAF Report – May 2010
• NLAF Report – March 2010

• Domestic violence training in NSW
• Domestic violence committees in NSW
• Domestic violence services in NSW Local Courts
• Map of Domestic violence services in NSW Local Courts
• Domestic violence legal services in NSW
• Domestic violence scenarios and the roles played by agencies

• Better identify/define the nature of the problem in NSW. For example, in which RRR regions of NSW are there problems in terms of gaps in lawyer availability, gaps in availability of lawyers practicing specific types of law, gaps in take-up of legal aid work, etc, and to assess these in the context of other data and regional specific circumstances.
• Develop a proposal for further research as a project for which ALAF might seek funding from the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department.
• Determine how the issues should be progressed taking into account the roles that can be played by Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, Australian Legal Assistance Forum, the Law Council of Australia and parallel submissions from other state LAFs.
• Communicate with and monitor the other state programs, in particular the Western Australian Country Lawyers Program.
• Liaise with the RRR Working Group of the Law Council of Australia in the development of subsequent TOR, but generally to avoid duplication of effort ensure the NLAF work complements that of the Law Council.
• At an appropriate stage, prepare draft Terms of Reference for an NLAF RRR Working Group

Reports and Further Information

Working Group on the Legal Needs of Prisoners

Convenor: Richard Funston (Legal Aid NSW)

Working Group established February 2009 and to conclude February 2010

Terms of Reference

To prioritise and, as appropriate, progress the strategies proposed by the NLAF Forum on the Legal Needs of Prisoners and to address other prison related issues referred by NLAF. In doing so, the Group is to consider special need prisoners.

Reports and Further Information

Legal Information and Referral Forum (Reporting Function)

Convenor: Abigail Gray (Law and Justice Foundation of NSW)

This is an on-going Working Group

Terms of Reference

Aim
To improve the quality of information and referral for people with legal problems in New South Wales by:

Scope
The Legal Information and Referral Forum brings together key service providers who provide legal assistance services to clients with legal problems. The Forum focuses on investigating current developments and practice as well as identifying common concerns and ways of addressing these. The Forum does not aim to achieve consensus on all aspects of referral or to control referral practice. Participants in the Forum recognise that different agencies carry out referral in different ways depending upon their role, clients, method of service delivery and resources.

Issues
The Forum covers a range of issues identified by participants in relation to effective legal referral. Specific issues which may be addressed include:

Reports and Further Information