- Blame game as legal aid cake gets sliced
- By Chris Merritt, Legal Affairs Editor
- The Australian
- 28/11/2008 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: PrincePlanet ( 6 articles in 2008 )
THE peak regulator of Victoria's lawyers has decided to reduce its support for legal aid.
The Legal Practice Board, which administers the Public Purpose Fund, has approved a reduction of $3.8 million in the fund's annual grant to legal aid -- down from $31.8 million to $28 million.
The board, which is chaired by Colin Neave, includes Law Council president-elect John Corcoran and prominent Melbourne barrister Hugh W.Fraser.
Its decision to reduce the fund's support for Victoria Legal Aid, which is outlined in the board's annual report, coincided with a decision to launch a $7 million grants program from the fund, with the approval of Attorney-General Rob Hulls.
The biggest single beneficiary from that program was the state Department of Justice, which received $2.2 million.
About 200 barristers and solicitors held a demonstration outside the County Court yesterday, seeking increased funding for legal aid.
The Law Institute's criminal law section is considering withdrawing unpaid services until there is a substantial increase in funding for legal aid.
"If our lawyers practising in criminal law withdraw from the system it will collapse," said Law Institute president Tony Burke. "If they stop doing unpaid work it will collapse."
Legal Practice Board chairman Colin Neave told The Australian that until now there had been no consideration by the board about giving legal aid a higher priority when allocating money from the Public Purpose Fund.
"But we are entering times when I think we all have to be mindful of maximising the availability of funds for legal aid," Mr Neave said. "So that is something that the board will keep on its radar for the future because there is a very great need for provision of legal aid, not just in Victoria but Australia-wide."
According to this week's joint statement by the Law Institute and the Victorian Bar, Victoria Legal Aid reported a funding deficit this year of $20.3 million. This was due to a shortfall in federal funding of $14.3 million and a state Government shortfall of $6 million.
Victoria Legal Aid's accounts show that the Public Purpose Fund's last grant of $31.8 million provided 29 per cent of the organisation's revenue in the last financial year.
Victoria Legal Aid managing director Bevan Warner said he was worried about the reduced revenue from the Public Purpose Fund.
"We have come to be over-reliant upon it, and now, with the economic downturn, I imagine distributions from that fund will be greatly reduced," he said.
Legal aid received $31.8 million of the $59.1 million that the fund distributed in grants and other payments last year.
But Mr Bevan said this source of revenue was vulnerable to economic fluctuations. He said he did not object to any of the other recipients who had received money from the fund.
He said the only reason legal aid appeared to be in competition with other groups for Public Purpose Fund money was that governments were not providing enough recurrent funding for legal aid.
The Legal Practice Board, which administers the Public Purpose Fund, has approved a reduction of $3.8 million in the fund's annual grant to legal aid -- down from $31.8 million to $28 million.
The board, which is chaired by Colin Neave, includes Law Council president-elect John Corcoran and prominent Melbourne barrister Hugh W.Fraser.
Its decision to reduce the fund's support for Victoria Legal Aid, which is outlined in the board's annual report, coincided with a decision to launch a $7 million grants program from the fund, with the approval of Attorney-General Rob Hulls.
The biggest single beneficiary from that program was the state Department of Justice, which received $2.2 million.
About 200 barristers and solicitors held a demonstration outside the County Court yesterday, seeking increased funding for legal aid.
The Law Institute's criminal law section is considering withdrawing unpaid services until there is a substantial increase in funding for legal aid.
"If our lawyers practising in criminal law withdraw from the system it will collapse," said Law Institute president Tony Burke. "If they stop doing unpaid work it will collapse."
Legal Practice Board chairman Colin Neave told The Australian that until now there had been no consideration by the board about giving legal aid a higher priority when allocating money from the Public Purpose Fund.
"But we are entering times when I think we all have to be mindful of maximising the availability of funds for legal aid," Mr Neave said. "So that is something that the board will keep on its radar for the future because there is a very great need for provision of legal aid, not just in Victoria but Australia-wide."
According to this week's joint statement by the Law Institute and the Victorian Bar, Victoria Legal Aid reported a funding deficit this year of $20.3 million. This was due to a shortfall in federal funding of $14.3 million and a state Government shortfall of $6 million.
Victoria Legal Aid's accounts show that the Public Purpose Fund's last grant of $31.8 million provided 29 per cent of the organisation's revenue in the last financial year.
Victoria Legal Aid managing director Bevan Warner said he was worried about the reduced revenue from the Public Purpose Fund.
"We have come to be over-reliant upon it, and now, with the economic downturn, I imagine distributions from that fund will be greatly reduced," he said.
Legal aid received $31.8 million of the $59.1 million that the fund distributed in grants and other payments last year.
But Mr Bevan said this source of revenue was vulnerable to economic fluctuations. He said he did not object to any of the other recipients who had received money from the fund.
He said the only reason legal aid appeared to be in competition with other groups for Public Purpose Fund money was that governments were not providing enough recurrent funding for legal aid.
Source: https://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,24716936-17044,00.html
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