Visiting academic addresses social inclusion and legal aid

Date : 03 Apr 2009

Visiting legal academic Professor Pascoe Pleasence spoke at Victoria Legal Aid on Wednesday 25 March on the topic of emerging global responses to meeting the legal needs of disadvantaged and poor people. 

Professor Pleasence is head of the Legal Services Research Centre at the Legal Services Commission (of England and Wales) and co-director of the Centre for Empirical Legal Studies at University College London. He is regarded as a world-wide expert on legal need.

Professor Pleasence’s address drew upon developments and research findings from around the world as he described ways to realise maximum benefit from limited legal assistance budgets, especially during the current  economic downturn.

He cited studies in Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, New Zealand and Scotland, and spoke of West Heidelberg Community Legal Centre as an excellent example of 'co-location' of complementary services, whereby legal, health and social services are gathered under the one roof.

'The global economic crisis is a great challenge to providing for legal need,' said Professor Pleasence. 'It is also a real opportunity to develop integrated services.'

'Legal services are absolutely pivotal in holding together people's lives.'

An abstract of Professor Pleasence's talk and his visual presentation are available below. There is also a webcast (new window) of the event.

• Contact us  |  Copyright  |  Privacy  |  Disclaimer  |  Sitemap  |  Accessibility statement