All Australians are equal before the law but not everybody can afford to pay for the legal services required to obtain justice. In order to close this gap, there are eight legal aid commissions in Australia, one in each state and territory. Created in the 1920’s Legal Aid was expanded in the 1970s by then then Whitlam-led federal government.
The purpose of legal aid commissions is to provide vulnerable, disadvantaged and newly arrived Australians with access to justice. Legal aid centers can help you to fill out of forms, write statements or assist during interviews. They can even assist people with the immigration procedures.
Jeremie Quiohilag, senior lawyer with Legal Aid NSW Refugee Service says, “Our advice sessions go for 45 minutes and we provide free interpreters if people need it. So the message we’re trying to get out to people is, if you are thinking you are having a legal problem, even if you are not sure if it is a legal problem, call in and make an appointment because the advice is free anyway and it is completely confidential so nobody else will know that you have come to get legal advice.”
Free legal advice is supplied for a wide range of issues, for example how to respond to a traffic fine, how to handle rental disputes, how to lodge a consumer complaint or what to do in a family crisis. Also if you have to defend yourself in court over a police charge, a Legal Aid lawyer can represent you during the proceedings.
However, this service is not always free. It is means tested by Legal Aid and also depends on the crime you are charged with. Denis Nelthorpe, Chief Executive Officer of Wesjustice, a legal centre in the Western suburbs of Melbourne explains that “if you’re charged with a serious crime and you don’t have any resources for a lawyer you’re likely to qualify”. According to Denis Nelthorpe, people who are on Centrelink will always qualify for Legal Aid.
For more information on Legal Aid Commissions in your state or territory, as well as access to phone numbers, application forms, means test indicators etc., visit
