Law Council warns: national legal aid funding reaching crisis point

20/04/2010

The Law Council and its constituent bodies have urged the Australian Government to address the lack of legal aid funding in the 2010 Federal Budget. Law Council President Glenn Ferguson said the underfunding of legal aid affected all aspects of society.

Self-representation places enormous strains on litigants and the resources of the courts. A PricewaterhouseCoopers report commissioned by National Legal Aid recently revealed that for every $1 spent on Commonwealth legal aid services, up to $2.25 is saved within the justice system.

**20 April 2010 **