Access to justice
Media and commentary related to our work promoting access to justice issues, such as freedom of information and access to courts and tribunals.
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Legal help for care leavers who missed out on victims’ compensation
Dedicated legal help is now available for young people who were in NSW State care in May 2013, and who may have missed out on compensation under victims of crime laws because the Government failed to lodge claims for them. Who does this apply to? The NSW Government failed to lodge victims’ compensation claims for…
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Government agencies could access personal data without consent under new bill
‘The Public Interest Advocacy Centre said the most marginalised groups, including people with a disability, First Nations people, young people, elderly people and asylum seekers, will likely be most at risk by the proposed new law, because they access government services more than the rest of the population or are disproportionately subjected to corrective services…
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Data Commissioner defends new sharing scheme
‘The government has struck the right balance with its sweeping new data-sharing scheme which will “streamline” service delivery, the Data Commissioner has told a Senate committee hearing, which also heard a range of legal and privacy concerns about the new scheme.’ By Denham Sadler, Senior Reporter. ‘Public Interest Advocacy Centre senior solicitor Chadwick Wong said…
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Litigation funding and class actions provide crucial access to justice
PIAC has urged the Commonwealth Parliament not to reduce access to justice for individuals through regulation of litigation funding or class actions. In a submission to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Corporations and Financial Services inquiry into litigation funding and class actions, which is considering further regulation of the litigation funding and class action system,…
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The ACO Guarantee Fund
In 2016 PIAC joined with litigation funders from around the world to establish an innovative funding scheme to support PIAC’s public interest litigation. The scheme allows PIAC’s public interest cases to go ahead in circumstances where the risk of an ‘adverse costs order’ would discourage clients from proceeding with their case. Under the Adverse Costs…
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A fairer NDIS: PIAC calls for more transparency re settlements
PIAC has called for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to make public the details of appeal cases it is settling with scheme participants, to promote transparency, accountability, and an overall fairer system for people with disability. This was a key point in our evidence before the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS in October.…
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Legal gambit to cut charity funding
‘The federal government claims it lacks the constitutional power to fund advocacy activity, although it refuses to release its advice and legal experts uniformly reject the assertion. By Mike Seccombe.’
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Seminar: Litigating for Change
Presented by PIAC, UNSW Australian Human Rights Institute and Grata Fund. What is the role of litigation in creating change? Can our courts be a site of struggle? And how can lawyers work with others in civil society to protect human rights and promote social justice? Join Andrea Durbach (Australian Human Rights Institute) in conversation with…
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NSW Government announces additional funding for community legal centres
PIAC has welcomed the release of the Cameron Review of Community Legal Centre Services and the response by the NSW Government, announced today by NSW Attorney General, Mark Speakman. PIAC CEO Jonathon Hunyor said ‘The Review is a very strong endorsement of the work that community legal centres do and the Government’s commitment of an…
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Flawed: Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill
PIAC has joined with other charities and non-government organisations in criticising the Commonwealth Government’s Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017. In its submission to the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, PIAC identified serious flaws in the proposed legislation, and particularly its adverse impacts on charities, trade unions and other…