5 June 2023

Elise Archer, Attorney General
Minister for Justice

Additional funding for the Tasmanian legal assistance sector

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Elise Archer has announced the successful recipients for additional State legal assistance sector funding.

“The Rockliff Liberal Government is grateful for, and acknowledges, the exceptional work of the Tasmanian legal assistance sector in providing free or low cost legal services to keep the justice system within reach of vulnerable Tasmanians in need,” the Attorney-General said.

“The funding has been committed to Tasmania’s important legal assistance sector, and is in addition to funding already delivered by our Government and under the National Legal Assistance Partnership.

“The successful proposals, which will improve Tasmanians’ access to justice, are:

• $30,000 per annum, over three years, to Community Legal Centres Tasmania to fund the use of interpreters, to assist Tasmanians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;
• $15,000 to supplement a Fulbright Tasmanian Scholarship for a Tasmanian student;
• $78,127 per annum, over two years, to the Launceston Community Legal Centre to employ a duty lawyer to provide free advice to court-users at the Launceston Magistrates Court;
• $195,000 to the Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service to pilot free civil legal services;
• $48,400 to the Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service;
• $13,200 to Tasmania Legal Aid to create a suite of short videos to assist the community to understand and navigate the legal system;
• $45,000 to Tasmania Legal Aid to facilitate trauma-informed practice training;
• $197,562 over two years to the TLRI to evaluate how well the Tasmanian Youth Justice System is responding to sex offences committed by young people;
• $25,000 to the Tenants Union of Tasmania to prepare a report to consider the reform and regulation of assistance animals in residential tenancies; and
• $25,000 to the Tenants Union of Tasmania to prepare a report exploring the transfer of residential tenancy matters to the jurisdiction of the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT).

“This is part of our record investments in the Tasmanian legal assistance sector over recent years, and we will continue doing all we can to support Tasmanians accessing legal assistance as we deliver our plan to build Tasmania’s future.”

More Media Releases from Elise Archer

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