$20m funding increase will do little to address huge ‘justice deficit’

03/04/2019

Law reform and public affairs

The Law Council of Australia has slammed the Federal Government’s abysmal legal assistance funding increase of less than $20 million in the 2019-20 Budget, which falls well short of the additional $310 million per year needed to provide adequate access to justice to Australians at risk.

“The Budget may be in surplus but Australia will remain in a significant justice deficit so long as the government fails to deliver adequate funding for Legal Aid Commissions (LACs), Community Legal Centres (CLCs), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services,” Mr Moses said.

A full copy of the media release is available here.