Need missing in legal assistance funding reviews

Lawyers and indigenous groups have urged Christian Porter to widen the focus of two legal assistance funding reviews.

Attorney-General Christian Porter in Canberra.

Lawyers and indigenous groups have urged Attorney-General Christian Porter to widen the focus of two legal assistance funding reviews announced yesterday, warning that they would not look at whether ­resources meet legal need.

Law Council president Morry Bailes said the time frame for the reviews of funding for the legal assistance sector and indigenous legal services was “extremely tight”.

“While the Law Council ­appreciates the context and scope of these two reviews, it is understood the reviews will not involve new research or in-depth analysis of broader issues such as the level of legal need in Australia, and whether existing funding is sufficient,” he said.

“The Law Council has cautioned whether a review ... can be adequately undertaken without some assessment as to the extent of the outstanding need for legal services.”

He said the Senate had only last week called for an urgent ­injection of at least $190 million.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services co-chairman Wayne Muir told The Australian the reviews were an opportunity to overhaul funding for the cash-strapped legal assistance sector.

“When the justice system is stacked against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at every level, governments must make access to justice and legal help a priority,” he said.

“Yet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services are significantly underfunded and current funding agreements do not provide certainty beyond 2020.”