The Justice Project Final Report

In August 2018, the Law Council released The Justice Project Final Report, a comprehensive national review of the state of access to justice in Australia for people experiencing significant disadvantage (the Justice Project Report). The Justice Project Report focuses on thirteen priority groups:

• people with disability
• people experiencing economic disadvantage
• LGBTI+ people
• prisoners and detainees
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• people who experience family violence
• people who have been trafficked and exploited
• recent arrivals to Australia
• children and young people
• RRR Australians
• asylum seekers
• older persons and
• people who are homeless

It identified service gaps and systemic flaws in the justice system and highlighted what is working well. The Justice Project Report contains priorities for each of the thirteen groups that result from an analysis of each group’s relevant legal needs, barriers, service gaps and laws, policies and practices (the Priorities).

The Justice Project Report also makes recommendations focusing on the different actors of the justice system and how they can best serve the needs of people experiencing disadvantage. In particular, pursuant to Recommendation 2.3, “the Law Council recognises and accepts responsibility for cooperating with pro bono organisations to ensure ongoing improvement in the recognition, encouragement, referral and adoption of best practice with respect to pro bono legal services”.

To view the full Justice Project Final Report and its recommendations, please see here.

For more information on the Law Council of Australia, see here.