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Lawyers welcome large investment into legal assistance and justice
The Law Institute of Victoria welcomed a large investment into the legal assistance sector and justice facilities announced in the Victorian budget to help the profession as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Naomi Neilson
President Sam Pandya said the budget is a “timely response” to challenges that were faced by legal professionals over the course of the pandemic and will assist them with “keeping the wheels of justice turning” as Victoria climbs its way out of the crisis.
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The Law Institute welcomed the additional $47.3 million funding invested in the audiovisual technology as well as the investment in courts. It particularly welcomed funding injections for the new court facility in Wyndham, a new specialist family court and the various upgrades at Sunshine court.
Mr Pandya said the government got the focus right by also investing $28.5 million to assist young and disadvantaged members of the community with access to legal services, including more support for Victoria Legal Aid’s on-call services.
“Vulnerable clients have suffered during COVID-19 from a lack of face-to-face access to independent legal advice and a lack of access to technology,” Mr Pandya said.
“Those charged with criminal offences need a private space to consult their lawyer [and] the elderly and some from migrant communities need independent legal advice to ensure their legal rights are protected. More funding for legal aid is always a priority.”
The courts, including the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, required funding to ensure that cases can continue to be heard digitally, in person or as a hybrid of both. Mr Pandya said the justice system has made “great strides” in transforming the courts into a digital world, but some infrastructure is “out of date” and “not fit for purpose”.
The LIV also welcomed the $20.2 million injection to ensure the rights, responsibilities and the voice of traditional owners continue to be upheld and protected. It includes a new commercial and cultural hub in Bendigo that will provide a space for the Dja Dja Wurrung people to share their culture and identify with the local community.
Additional funding for crime prevention and youth justice is also welcome, the LIV said. It includes $11.8 million over four years to reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal children and young people in the youth justice system and the delivery of the Aboriginal Youth Justice Strategy.
