Community legal sector launches justice action plan for the 48th Parliament
Community Legal Centres Australia
Community Legal Centres Australia has today launched its Vision for Justice at Australian Parliament House, presenting its action plan for the 48th Parliament to improve justice for people and communities across the country.
The Vision for Justice outlines some of the significant justice barriers that community legal centres encounter, impacting people’s wellbeing. It also outlines the sector’s vision for what things could look like if governments and communities work together to overcome those barriers.
Alongside the Vision for Justice, community legal centres have identified 17 key actions required for progress towards this vision.
The Vision for Justice reflects the work of community legal centres across all jurisdictions and in many areas of law, including child protection, criminal law, employment, social security, and immigration.
Quotes attributable to Arlia Fleming, Chairperson, Community Legal Centres Australia
“Community legal centres work every day with the people most impacted by unfair systems. We hear their stories, and we see the justice barriers that make their lives harder. We also listen to people about what they need to overcome those barriers, and what ‘justice’ means to them.”
“Justice goes far beyond the law, and the law doesn’t always deliver justice. Our justice work involves both giving direct legal help to people who need it and working to change unjust laws and systems.”
“Today, we’re asking parliamentarians to consider the type of society they want to see. We’re asking those who share our vision for a more just world to work with us to implement the key actions we’ve identified that will take us a step in the right direction. Each is achievable within this term of parliament. Some will require a bit of political bravery, but they’re all possible.”
Quotes attributable to Bobbi Murray, Co-Convenor, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Network
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are hit hardest by most legal problems and face unique barriers to justice. The ongoing and growing overrepresentation of my people in statistics on child removals, incarceration rates, and suicides, bear witness to this fact year on year.”
“The core of the problem is that the Stolen Generations never ended. Some people say that regression on Closing the Gap targets is a failure in systems. But many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander frontline workers see the system doing exactly what it was set up to do – remove kids, strip away their culture, and assimilate.”
“That’s why one of the actions we’re urging the 48th Parliament to take is to ensure funding to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is directed to self-determined approaches that transform unjust systems. When government systems themselves drive inequity, they must be transformed, by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”
Quotes attributable to Samantha Schulte, former client of Caxton Legal Centre
"Through my journey as a victim-survivor of domestic violence, Caxton Community Legal Centre stood beside me with advocacy, care, and practical help. They understood that justice cannot be separated from housing, financial stability, health, and safety. Support in all those areas gave me a chance not only to survive, but to begin to heal.”
“Survival has shown me that the complexities and barriers facing victim-survivors and their children are not confined to moments of crisis — systems like housing, health, income support, and legal processes shape our decisions long before crisis, and continue to create barriers long after. These barriers determine how we rebuild our lives, how our children heal, and whether recovery is truly possible after domestic violence. That is why the role of community legal centres like Caxton is so crucial – they go beyond helping people through crisis and also work to fix the systems that cause harm.”
About us:
About community legal centres
Community legal centres are independent community organisations that give free legal help and other related support to people and communities right across the country. There are over 160 organisations in the Community Legal Centres Australia membership nationally. Together, the sector helps hundreds of thousands of people each year with problems related to domestic and family violence, housing and tenancy, employment, family law, social security, credit and debt, immigration and more.
Contact details:
Riley Brooke – 0458 066 054