Who's Responsible:

Legal aid for Indigenous Australians program

The Australian Government's Legal Aid for Indigenous Australians (LEGA) program supports the provision of culturally sensitive legal aid services to Indigenous Australians. It provides funding for organisations to deliver legal aid services to Indigenous Australians. This network delivers services at 78 permanent sites, court circuits and outreach locations in urban, rural and remote areas throughout all States and Territories.

The range of services provided comprise:

1. information, initial legal advice, minor assistance and referral
2. duty lawyer assistance, and
3. legal casework services for criminal, civil and family law matters.

Indigenous legal aid services are provided in accordance with priorities laid down in the Policy Directions for the delivery of legal aid services to Indigenous Australians (Policy Directions).  The funding arrangement for providing these services has been progressively changed to contractual relationships through a competitive tender process from grant-based funding.

The Department has contracted the following Indigenous organisations until 30 June 2008 to deliver legal aid services to Indigenous Australians in their state or zones:

• New South Wales (including the Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory) – Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited
• Victoria – Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service Co-operative Limited
• Queensland North Zone –  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Legal Service (Townsville- NQ) Limited
• Queensland South Zone –  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (Qld South) Limited 
• Western Australia – Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia Incorporated
• South Australia – Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement Incorporated
• Tasmania –Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre Incorporated
• Northern Territory North Zone – North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency Limited
• Northern Territory South Zone – Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service Incorporated

Contact details for these organisations can be found below. Further information on the type of services provided is available in the downloads box under Policy Directions for the delivery of Legal Aid Services to Indigenous Australians.

• Indigenous Legal Services Contact Details - Word 81KB
• Indigenous Legal Services Contact Details - PDF 28KB

This program also provides funding for test cases that advance the rights of Indigenous Australians. Further information on test case funding is contained in the related links box under Indigenous Test Case Guidelines.