Attorney General, Robert McClelland, today launched a new website as part of a package of measures to improve access to justice.

“Increasingly, the experience of ordinary Australians dealing with the justice system is marked by confusion and complexity,” he said.

“People often don’t understand legal events, what to do or where to seek assistance, while many are excluded because information is complicated or simply difficult to find.”

The new website, located at www.accesstojustice.gov.au, is a bid to provide Australians with access to information about legal assistance and related services in their local area.

Users punch their postcode or suburb into the site and they will get information and contact details of local legal services such as Legal Aid, Community Legal Centres, Family Relationship Centres, and Dispute Resolution Services.

“The website will also provide a link to lawyers who operate in each State and Territory as well as relevant laws to enable people to understand their options early, in order to prevent or resolve their disputes before they escalate or become entrenched,” said McClelland.

The website forms a part of the Government’s Strategic Framework for Access to Justice, launched today, which includes the largest injection of funding into legal assistance services for more than 10 years, bringing the total Commonwealth contribution to over $1.2 billion.

“It is appropriate that we are launching these initiatives on the eve of National Law Week as they recognise that access to justice is not just about access to a court or a lawyer, it is about providing practical, affordable and easily understood information.”