Victoria Legal Aid

Rowan McRae Executive Director of Civil Justice Access and Equity spoke to Patricia Karvelas on ABC 774 about our second test case against Centrelink’s robo-debt process. Our client Deanna only found out about her alleged robo-debt when her tax return was taken. ‘Our clients want these questions answered’. Read more about the case – https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/it-felt-like-guilty-until-proven-innocent-new-test-case-against-centrelinks-robo-debt-system

Heidi Deason, Manager of our Mallee region office, spoke to ABC Mildura on 4 March 2019, about the Cross-border justice report. The report outlines the complex and unique challenges in accessing justice for people living along the borders of different states. Read the report http://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/working-together-to-improve-access-to-justice-for-cross-border-communities

On 15 October 2018 Damian Stock, Managing Lawyer of the Economic and Social Rights Team, was interviewed by Rafael Epstein on ABC Melbourne about a new hardship program introduced to help Victorians with road-toll debts.

Victoria Legal Aid's Lucy Geddes, Lawyer Mental Health and Disability Law Program, was interviewed on ABC’s 774 Drive program about the decision for all charges to be dropped against her client Francis. Francis became a Victoria Legal Aid client after NDIS-funded disability service providers withdrew services from him. The 20 year old, who has intellectual disability and autism ended up spending a total of 180 days in custody because there was nowhere suitable for him to go on release. He was isolated from other prisoners, spending any time outside his cell in handcuffs. We are continuing our call for governments to work together and establish a clear and reliable framework which will ensure that NDIS participants have access to their funded disability supports when the market fails Read more about this important case here: http://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/all-charges-dropped-against-our-ndis-client-francis

Listen to our Managing Lawyer, Economic and Social Rights, Damian Stock being interviewed on ABC 774 Drive, on 29 May 2018, about a recent Supreme Court case challenging an eviction notice. More information: https://www.domain.com.au/news/iranian-refugee-served-eviction-notice-takes-case-to-the-supreme-court-20180528-h10m3w/

Sonia Law, Program Manager of our Mental Health Disability Advocacy team speaks to Jon Faine on ABC Melbourne about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and our calls for a provider of last resort.

The outgoing Managing Director Bevan Warner was interviewed by ABC 774 radio about his reflections as he prepares to step down after a decade leading Victoria Legal Aid.

We recently launched our first health justice partnership in Mildura. The VLA Mallee Regional Office is co-located inside Sunraysia Community Health Service so that we can serve the community in a relevant and timely manner. Listen to Manager Mallee Legal Impact Heidi Deason and Executive Director Services and Innovation Peter Noble speak to ABC Mildura Swan Hill about the new service and what it means for the Mallee.

Victoria Legal Aid Managing Director Bevan Warner's speech at RMIT University's Graduate School of Business and Law, celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Juris Doctor program. 20 July 2017.

This edition of our Access to Justice podcast discusses bringing legal assistance to thousands of asylum seekers affected by changes to Commonwealth law in 2014. Their claims for protection became collectively known as the legacy caseload. You will hear from the Executive Director of Refugee Legal, David Manne, our Executive Director of Civil Justice, Access and Equity Dan Nicholson, Senior Lawyer with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Arti Chetty and migration agent and specialist lawyer Carina Ford of Carina Ford Immigration Lawyers. Presenter – Louis Bennett. Download the transcript – https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/sites/www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/files/vla-access-to-justice-podcast-the-legacy-caseload-initiative.docx

Speakers from the Means Test Review briefing event 10 August 2016: Bevan Warner, Managing Director, Victoria Legal Aid; Mary Sayers, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Social Services; Steven Sapountsis, President, Law Institute of Victoria; Belinda Lo, Chairperson, Federation of Community Legal Centres. We are reviewing the way we assess financial eligibility for grants of legal assistance because we want to make sure that people in need have access to justice. We aim to expand eligibility and make our means test simple to understand, flexible, efficient to administer, financially sustainable and fair. Find out more at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/thousands-of-victorians-who-miss-out-on-legal-aid-focus-of-means-test-review

Speakers from the Means Test Review briefing event 10 August 2016: Bevan Warner, Managing Director, Victoria Legal Aid; Mary Sayers, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Social Services; Steven Sapountsis, President, Law Institute of Victoria; Belinda Lo, Chairperson, Federation of Community Legal Centres. We are reviewing the way we assess financial eligibility for grants of legal assistance because we want to make sure that people in need have access to justice. We aim to expand eligibility and make our means test simple to understand, flexible, efficient to administer, financially sustainable and fair. Find out more at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/thousands-of-victorians-who-miss-out-on-legal-aid-focus-of-means-test-review

Speakers from the Means Test Review briefing event 10 August 2016: Bevan Warner, Managing Director, Victoria Legal Aid; Mary Sayers, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Social Services; Steven Sapountsis, President, Law Institute of Victoria; Belinda Lo, Chairperson, Federation of Community Legal Centres. We are reviewing the way we assess financial eligibility for grants of legal assistance because we want to make sure that people in need have access to justice. We aim to expand eligibility and make our means test simple to understand, flexible, efficient to administer, financially sustainable and fair. Find out more at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/thousands-of-victorians-who-miss-out-on-legal-aid-focus-of-means-test-review

Speakers from the Means Test Review briefing event 10 August 2016: Bevan Warner, Managing Director, Victoria Legal Aid; Mary Sayers, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Social Services; Steven Sapountsis, President, Law Institute of Victoria; Belinda Lo, Chairperson, Federation of Community Legal Centres. We are reviewing the way we assess financial eligibility for grants of legal assistance because we want to make sure that people in need have access to justice. We aim to expand eligibility and make our means test simple to understand, flexible, efficient to administer, financially sustainable and fair. Find out more at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/thousands-of-victorians-who-miss-out-on-legal-aid-focus-of-means-test-review

Introduction by Deputy Managing Lawyer, Equality Law, Aimee Cooper and speech by LGBTI Taskforce member Jamie Gardiner at the exhibition launch of An Unfinished Journey: Law and Justice for LGBTIQ people in Victoria 1835 – 2016, curated by the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives and held at the Victoria Legal Aid Library. Find out more about the event http://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/trauma-of-brutal-laws-punishing-gay-people-on-display-victoria-legal-aid

Introduction by Deputy Managing Lawyer, Equality Law, Aimee Cooper and speech by Executive Director Family, Youth and Children's Law, Nicole Rich from the exhibition launch of An Unfinished Journey: Law and Justice for LGBTIQ people in Victoria 1835 – 2016, curated by the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives and held at the Victoria Legal Aid Library. Find out more about the event http://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/trauma-of-brutal-laws-punishing-gay-people-on-display-victoria-legal-aid

Bevan Warner's speech at Victoria Legal Aid on 6 June 2016 at the 'Unveiling of acknowledgement plaque morning tea' for National Reconciliation Week 2016. Read more about our Reconciliation Plan http://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/holding-ourselves-to-account-progress-under-our-first-reconciliation-action-plan

In one of the largest studies of its kind, Victoria Legal Aid examined more than 15,000 clients charged with breaching family violence intervention orders. On 18 February 2016, Attorney-General, the Honourable Martin Pakula and our Managing Director Bevan Warner launched the new research report. This was followed by a panel discussion with Deputy Chief Magistrate Felicity Broughton, Magistrates’ Court of Victoria Supervising Magistrate for Family Violence and Family Law; Assistant Police Commissioner Dean McWhirter, Victoria Police Head of Family Violence Command; No to Violence Chief Executive Officer Jacqui Watt; Safe Steps Chief Executive Officer Annette Gillespie. Listen to the highlights of their discussion, presented by Alison Caldwell, as the panel explore the significance of the research.