2016-04-18
18/04/2016
With new analysis showing 79 per cent of Legal-Aid-assisted family law cases include domestic violence, the Greens today renewed their call for the Coalition Government to boost funding for Legal Aid.
“The demand for domestic violence legal help is so tragically high that it is a factor in the bulk of family law cases assisted by Legal Aid,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens spokesperson for women, said.
“On top of the tens of thousands of Legal-Aid-assisted cases involving domestic violence, there are many victims of domestic violence who are being denied Legal Aid due to a lack of funding.
“Malcolm Turnbull needs to match his rhetoric about domestic violence by boosting legal assistance funding by at least $200 million per year in the upcoming Budget as recommended by the Productivity Commission.
“As well as leaving Legal Aid underfunded, the Turnbull Government is planning to implement Tony Abbott’s 30 per cent funding cut to community legal centres scheduled for 2017.
“The Turnbull Government is also leaving Aboriginal legal services drastically underfunded, even though domestic violence disproportionally affects Aboriginal women.
“Domestic violence is a national crisis and to solve it we need government to reverse its funding cuts and an urgent injection of new funding.
“The Greens are calling for an immediate injection of $200 million a year for legal assistance, including Legal Aid, so that, instead of being turned away, women get the legal support they need to escape violence,” Senator Waters said.
Contact – Monique Vandeleur 0419 626 725