[Greens-Media] Legal Aid cuts more bad news for the vulnerable

[Walker, Nadine]

Legal Aid cuts more bad news for the vulnerable
Media statement, Friday, 23 May 2014

Plans by the Barnett Government to shut Fremantle and Midland's long-running Legal Aid offices will reduce vulnerable people's access to justice and ultimately mean more people in custody, Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren says.

"The State Government has failed to provide a justification for closing down the Fremantle and Midland's Legal Aid offices, other than centralising services in Perth is a cost-cutting measure," Ms MacLaren said.

"Despite claims at Budget Estimate Hearings last night, centralising these services will not save costs. The proposal for duty lawyers to travel down from Perth rather being based locally will mean that people facing charges in the Fremantle and Midland will have reduced access to a lawyer and are therefore more likely remanded in custody.

"It is simply unrealistic to expect that the majority of Legal Aid clients can travel into St George's Terrace to see a lawyer; these are in most cases, society's most disadvantaged people.

"It's much more than that; client-centred services cannot be delivered effectively by a centralised duty officer. 

"The net effect is that these people will be more likely to be remanded in custody and stay in custody for longer, and for many this increases the potential for re-offending.

"The Greens will be raising these concerns with the WA Attorney-General's Department next month (10 June 2014) during Budget Estimates, as part of our ongoing campaign at State and Federal levels to improve access to justice."