Justice Project: People with Disability
More information about this project can be found here.
This project has been endorsed by the Law Council of Australia.
Priorities identified in the Justice Project Final Report
Priorities Identified in the Justice Project Final Report[i]:
- Increase funding for legal assistance services to ensure that they have adequate resources to meet the complex needs of people with disability, including through providing appropriate aids and adjustments and engaging in sustainable partnerships with disability advocacy organisations and disability support services.
- Provide free legal assistance and representation for people experiencing disadvantage at first instance hearings for applications under Guardianship and Administration and Mental Health legislation.
- Increase disability training, education and awareness raising initiatives for justice system personnel who are likely to have close contact with people with disability.
- Invest in accessible, disability-responsive and culturally appropriate support services and targeted prevention and early intervention approaches and programs.
- Embrace and formally recognise supported decision making.
- Address the intersectional needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing disability by developing informed and culturally competent responses throughout the criminal justice system.
- Review unfitness to stand trial laws and incorporate minimum safeguards, including:
- limits on the period of detention;
- regular and independent periodic review of detention orders;
- access to judicial review for all decisions; and
- access to stable, secure, individualised and culturally responsive non-custodial accommodation options.
Justice Project: Pro Bono Tool Summaries
Directory of Organisations
Quick links to tables by location:
National
Organisations for people who are experiencing a disability
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Centre for Disability Law – ACDL promotes and protects the human and legal rights of people with disability and their supporters through legal advocacy. The centre does this by providing free legal advice and representing people with disability discrimination cases. ACDL provides direct legal services in NSW and referrals across Australia. | For further information on how to become involved click here. | ✔ | ✔ |
Campaigns
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your Story Disability Legal Support Your Story empowers people with a disability to safely share their story with the Disability Royal Commission and connect with local support services. The legal support works in partnership with communities to deliver a person centred, trauma-informed and culturally safe legal service. | To contact Your Story Disability Legal Support, click here. | ✔ | ✔ |
Referral organisations
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Justice Connect – Justice Connect can assist when legal issues arise as result of a disability. The centre connects people with a network of pro bono lawyers who can help understand rights and resolve legal problems. The two focus areas within the work on disability rights include the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Disability Discrimination. | Three levels of membership: Strategic Partners – select firms will have priority access to all our clinics, and engage with us on a strategic level, see here. Engaged Partners – opportunities to participate in key discussions and initiatives to tackle social justice and human rights issues to help shape the future of pro bono, see here. Active Partners – access to Justice Connect’s established referral programs, including our Public Interest service and our Not For Profit service, see here. | ✔ |
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Organisations for people who are experiencing a disability
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADACAS – ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service is an independent not for profit advocacy organisation. The organisation promotes and protects the rights of people with disability, people experiencing mental ill-health, older people and their carers. | To contact ADACAS, see here. | ✔ |
Organisations with disability initiatives
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra Community Law – Disability Discrimination Law is a specialist legal service of Canberra Community Law. Disability Discrimination Law provides free, independent, and confidential legal assistance in disability discrimination law. CCL assists people who have a disability, are associated with a person with a disability and have been treated unfairly and anyone who is a carer/friend/family who has been treated unfavourably. | For further information on current opportunities with the organisation click here. | ✔ | ✔ |
New South Wales (NSW)
Pro bono providers are encouraged to contact the Pro Bono Referral Schemes and Organisations to source pro bono matters. In New South Wales, please contact Justice Connect.
Organisations for people who are experiencing a disability
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Centre for Disability Law ACDL promotes and protects the human and legal rights of people with a disability and their supporters through legal advocacy. ACDL provides free legal advice and represents people with disability discrimination cases. | For further information on how to become involved click here | ✔ | ✔ |
| Intellectual Disability Rights Service IDRS has a team of qualified solicitors who work as a specialised Community Legal Centre providing free legal advice, casework and professional consultation across a number of areas of law. The legal advice provides recommendations about what course of action should be taken on the facts, what it is trying to be achieved, and a consideration of the law that applies to a particular situation. | For further information on current job opportunities click here | ✔ | ✔ |
| Disability Advocacy NSW Disability Advocacy NSW (DANSW) and its advocates are committed to ensuring that recurring problems for people with a disability are dealt with at a higher level in an attempt to stop the same problems happening to others. DANSW has an aim to build strong evidence based strategies to do this. The service helps those with a disability, a family member of those with a disability, a carer or a service provider. | To become involved, see here | ✔ | ✔ |
Organisations with disability initiatives
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid North Coast Legal Centre Mid North Coast Legal Centre provides legal advocacy on behalf of clients who have a significant legal problem and aren’t able to advocate on their own. This is particularly important for people who find it impossible to engage with the legal system because they have a mental illness, brain injury or intellectual disability. | To become involved, see here | ✔ | ✔ |
Northern Territory (NT)
Organisations with disability initiatives
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| COTA Northern Territory – COTA NT is the Peak Body for seniors in the Northern Territory and is dedicated to promoting the well-being of senior Territorians aged 50 years and over, including advice for those experiencing a disability. | To get involved, see here. | ✔ | |
| Darwin Community Legal Service – DCLS provides a free, confidential service that supports members of the community to protect their legal rights. DCLS includes a Seniors and Disability Rights Service which offers advocacy and support for older persons and their families, and people living with disability in the Northern Territory. SDRS is based in Darwin and covers the top end of the Northern Territory, including East Arnhem Shire and Jabiru, as well areas south of Darwin such as Katherine. Through fair access to legal advice and support, DCLS advocates to resolve issues of injustice and disadvantage. | For further information on current opportunities click here. | ✔ | ✔ |
Queensland (QLD)
Pro bono providers are encouraged to contact the Pro Bono Referral Schemes and Organisations to source pro bono matters. In Queensland, please contact LawRight.
Organisations for people who are experiencing a disability
| Organisations | information for pro bono providers | Direct Legal services | Law reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland Advocacy – Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion is an independent advocacy organisation advocating for the protection and advancement of the needs, rights and lives of people with disability in Queensland. The centre offers a young people’s program which empowers self-advocacy and supports children and young people with a disability to uphold their rights and interests and increase their control over their lives. Queensland Advocacy also supports the resolution of complex and escalated complaints relating to the access, participation and/or achievement of students with disability in Queensland state schools through Education Advocacy. | “For further information of how to become involved see here“ | ✔ | ✔ |
Organisations with disability initiatives
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns Community Legal Centre CCLC provides accessible legal services for people in the community experiencing disadvantage. The Centre provides information and referrals, legal advice and in some circumstances, ongoing casework assistance. The service includes a specialist disability discrimination service for those suffering with mental health. | Solicitors may be engaged on a roster basis usually once every 3-4 weeks to provide advice in relation to an area of law that they are familiar with. For more information see here | ✔ | |
| Basic Rights Queensland Basic Rights Queensland is a specialist community legal centre, providing free legal advice, advocacy and legal services state-wide by telephone with advice and resources to protect your rights and help resolve disability discrimination matters. | To volunteer your time at Basic Rights Queensland, see here | ✔ | ✔ |
| Queensland Advocacy Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion is an independent advocacy organisation advocating for the protection and advancement of the needs, rights and lives of people with disability in Queensland. The centre offers a young people’s program which empowers self-advocacy and supports children and young people with a disability to uphold their rights and interests and increase their control over their lives. Queensland Advocacy also supports the resolution of complex and escalated complaints relating to the access, participation and/or achievement of students with disability in Queensland state schools through Education Advocacy. | For further information of how to become involved see here | ✔ | ✔ |
South Australia (SA)
Pro bono providers are encouraged to contact the Pro Bono Referral Schemes and Organisations to source pro bono matters. In South Australia, please contact JusticeNet SA.
Organisations for people who are experiencing a disability
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia Inc Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia is a respectful, client-focussed organisation that provides free and independent individual and systemic advocacy for South Australians living with disabilities. The centre services regional/country South Australia and the Adelaide metropolitan area. DACSSA works to champion the cause of people with disability through developing positive relationships and extensive, productive networks. | For opportunities with DACSSA, see here | ✔ | ✔ |
Organisations with disability initiatives
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Services Commission South Australia Legal Services Commission South Australia helps people living with disability and community workers to understand the law and how it can affect them. The organisation assists people by educating them on knowing their rights, understanding their responsibilities, navigating themselves confidently through the legal system and knowing when and where to ask for help and advice. | For comprehensive coverage on the assignment of legal aid cases to practitioners, see here | ✔ | ✔ |
| Uniting Communities Uniting Communities has been providing disability services for more than 30 years by assisting with support coordination, one-to-one support, independent living options, grants for people with a disability and information regarding changing places facilities. | To become a part of the Uniting Communities team, see here | ✔ | ✔ |
Tasmania (TAS)
Organisations with disability initiatives
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston Community Legal Centre The Launceston Community Legal Centre provides a free legal service to people who believe they have been treated differently because of their disability. People can experience disability discrimination in a number of different areas, including: employment, education, provision of goods or services, accommodation. The solicitor will be able to advise people as to the merit of their case, what action they can take and in certain circumstances offer free legal representation. | For information on how to volunteer see here | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hobart Community Legal Service Hobart Community Legal Service is a community organisation that aims to foster community awareness of the law, to make the law more equitable and accessible to the public, and to provide free legal information, advice, and referral to the general public in southern Tasmania. HCLS offers a focus in equity and rights in society including information regarding disability and the law. | To contact HCLS, see here | ✔ |
Victoria (VIC)
Pro bono providers are encouraged to contact the Pro Bono Referral Schemes and Organisations to source pro bono matters. In Victoria, please contact Justice Connect.
Organisations for people who are experiencing a disability
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disability Discrimination Legal Service Disability Discrimination Legal Service is a statewide independent community legal centre that specialises in both direct and indirect disability discrimination. DDLS provides free legal services in several areas including information, referral, advice, casework assistance, community legal education, and policy and law reform. The centre offers information, education and training about legal rights and responsibilities under disability discrimination laws for people with disabilities and the general community. | To volunteer or become a DDLS member click here | ✔ | ✔ |
| Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service Villamanta is a Community Legal Centre that works across Victoria on disability-related legal and justice issues. Villamanta has been fighting for the rights of people with disability-related justice issues since 1990. Villamanta ensure that people in Victoria with a disability can protect their rights and do not face discrimination. | To become more involved, see here | ✔ | ✔ |
Organisations with disability initiatives
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| AED Legal Centre AED works in partnership with service users, other disability and community agencies, trade unions, employers and government to protect the human, civil and legal rights of people with disability; empower employees with a disability who experience workplace discrimination or disadvantage; promote the inclusion and participation of people with a disability in employment, education and training; empowering students and their families in addressing barriers to education; and increase community awareness and promote better community attitudes towards people with a disability. | To become involved, see here | ✔ | ✔ |
Western Australia (WA)
Pro bono providers are encouraged to contact the Pro Bono Referral Schemes and Organisations to source pro bono matters. In Western Australia, please contact Law Access.
Organisations with disability initiatives
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlas Community Legal Centre Midlas provides advocacy services to people with disabilities, their family members, and carers. The organisation provides support across a range of services, whether that is helping people to access to the NDIS, reviewing decisions by the NDIS, help in solving issues with providers and support in taking cases to the Australian Human Rights Commission about discrimination. | To work with Midlas, see here | ✔ | ✔ |
| Legal Aid Western Australia Legal Aid WA is the public face of the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. The overriding aim of the organisation is to promote equitable access to legal information and services. Legal Aid provides advice regarding disputes with NDIS, discrimination, disability access and equity. | To become involved with Legal Aid, see here | ✔ | ✔ |
RRR CLCs
| Organisations | Information for Pro Bono Providers | Direct Legal Services | Law Reform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex Street Community Law Services The Sussex Community Law Service provides NSDS Accredited advocacy services to people with disabilities, their family members and carers. It is an independent, free and confidential service to people in the regional areas of the Mid West, Goldfields/Esperance and the Great Southern areas of Western Australia. | For more information on the centre and contact details, see here here | ✔ |