The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is a specialist legal centre. With the exception of our Homeless Persons Legal Service (see below), we do not provide legal help to members of the public directly.
PIAC’s legal work is focused on cases that can lead to systemic change and will have widespread benefit.
The scope of this work is potentially very broad. To ensure that our work has focus and is most likely to have impact, we identify priority areas in our strategic planning process.
Under PIAC’s current Strategic Plan, our priorities are:
- Homelessness
- Prisons and detention
- Indigenous justice
- Discrimination
- Accountable government
- Energy and water.
Before taking on a case, PIAC considers where it:
- addresses an issue that is causing significant harm
- has the potential to help a disadvantaged sector of the community
- has reasonable prospects of success
- has potential to make a significant impact.
Our legal work focuses on test cases that can lead to systemic change for the benefit of people who are marginalised or experiencing disadvantage. To ensure our work has the greatest impact, we have specific priority areas, which we identify in collaboration with the organisations and communities we work with.
If you are homeless or at risk of homelessness, you may be eligible for legal help from our Homeless Persons Legal Service.
If you are an individual looking for legal help, you can call Law Access on 1300 888 529 for an appropriate referral. Law Access has a website that can assist you to find legal help. Community Legal Centres NSW also has a website which can assist you to find legal help.
If you are not in NSW, you could contact your local community legal centre or legal aid commission.
If you are not eligible for help from legal aid or a community legal centre, you can try to get free legal help from a pro bono lawyer, or a private lawyer.
In NSW, pro bono help may be available via Justice Connect.
To find a private lawyer that specialises in the area of law that your problem relates to, you can speak to the Law Society or Law Institute in your State or Territory.