New survey to help guide legal aid policy for a decade and beyond

Date : 04 Dec 2007

A new national survey of legal need is set to form an integral part of legal aid policy development in Australia for at least a decade.  Victoria Legal Aid, with all other Australian Legal Aid Commissions and the Law & Justice Foundation of New South Wales, is undertaking a comprehensive, Australia-wide survey of legal need.

VLA’s involvement in the survey was announced by VLA managing director Tony Parsons in a recent speech at the 25th annual conference of the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration. 

‘Historically, there has been little quantitative research into legal need in Australia,’ said Mr Parsons. ‘However, this is about to change. The study will survey approximately 20,000 Australians, including 4,250 Victorians.

‘It is undoubtedly the largest legal needs survey undertaken anywhere in the world.’ Mr Parsons said the survey will identify not only the location, nature and quantum of legal need, ‘it will also tell us what people do about legal need and how effectively that need is resolved.

‘It will provide comprehensive empirical evidence about legal need on which strategies can be based to effectively build equitable access to the law and to justice.’ The results of the survey are due in late 2009. 

View the full text of Mr Parsons' speech to the AIJA.

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