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Canberra Today 15°/17° | Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Extra money for Legal Aid

simon corbell

SIMON Corbell says he will give the Legal Aid Commission an additional $867,000 over the next two years to improve access to justice.

“The ACT Government has committed to provide additional funding for legal services available to the most vulnerable in our community,” Simon said.

“This extra funding will ensure vulnerable people who cannot afford the cost of private legal representation have access to legal assistance.”

While the ACT Government has committed to additional funding in this budget, the Commonwealth Government’s recent budget forecast a long-term reduction in financial support to the legal assistance sector.

A letter last week signed by most state and territory attorneys-general called on the Federal Government to reverse its budget decision to savagely cut funding to the community legal sector from 2017-18.

“The Commonwealth needs to step-up and make a long-term commitment to the community legal sector,” Mr Corbell said.

“Commonwealth funding will decline sharply in 2017-18, dropping to below the level funding was at in 2011-12, and it will remain below that 2011-12 level for the following two years.

“It is not acceptable that a sector that provides essential legal services to the most disadvantaged in our community should be facing a fiscal cliff like the one being imposed by the Commonwealth Government.”

The Legal Aid Commission provides legal information and advice, and duty lawyer services to those who are socially or economically disadvantaged, in the fields of criminal, family and some civil law matters.

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Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

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