The statements on this page are a statutory requirement under the Freedom of Information Act . The purposes of the statements are to:
- provide a snapshot of the types of information and documents that VLA holds
- outline how to access this information and locate publicly available information
- inform the public how to make a request for access under the FOI Act.
Note that some information held by our organisation (such as client records) is not publicly available due its personal, confidential and sensitive nature. You can request your own personal information directly from a program area or through Freedom of Information processes.
What information do we release?
We release a large amount of information for Victorians through:
- online and print publishing
- person-to-person services.
Our information is free of charge or available at the lowest possible cost.
Making information easily accessible can reduce the need for the public to submit requests under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).
Our information statements
Statement 1 – organisation and functions
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) is an independent statutory authority with set statutory objectives. We are funded by the Commonwealth and the Victorian government but operate independently of government.
To find out more about our vision and values and strategic directions, the Board and senior executives, our annual reports and the history of legal aid in Victoria please see Our organisation.
Statement 2 – categories of documents
VLA creates a large number of documents and records in the course of its work.
VLA uses a number of electronic document and records management systems in order to classify, store, access and manage this broad range of documents.
Under section 7 of the FOI Act, an authority must publish a statement of the categories of documents it maintains. This statement broadly describes the documents held by us.
The types of documents that VLA handles include:
- legal and non-legal client files
- policy, procedures and standards
- briefings and reports
- registers
- correspondence
- administrative records
- operational records
- meeting records
- financial records
- human resource management
- photographs, images and multimedia objects.
The above examples are not an exhaustive list and provide a snapshot of information available.
Statement 3 – Freedom of Information arrangements
Under the FOI Act, members of the public have the right to request information and access documents about their personal affairs and the activities of VLA. Where possible, VLA can and will provide access to documents outside of the FOI Act.
The object of the FOI Act is to extend as far as possible the right of the community to access information in the possession of the government.
The FOI Act gives you the right to:
request documents about your personal affairs and the activities of Victoria Legal Aid; and
request that incorrect or misleading information held by VLA about you be amended or removed.
Further Information relating to how to make a request, and how VLA receives and processes FOI requests can be found at various locations, including:.
| Category/Topic | Resource location |
General information and assistance with FOI specific VLA. | Freedom of information area of this website. |
Lodge a FOI request and find general information on lodging requests. | Freedom of information |
General information on VLA’s FOI responsibilities. | VLA’s Annual Report. |
Making a complaint about certain actions taken or action failed to be taken by VLA under the FOI Act. | VLA’s Complaint Policy. Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner’s (OVIC) Make A website. |
Statement 4 – publications
VLA produces a wide range of publications, many of which can be access on the publications of this website. Publications are indexed and listed alphabetically by title, summary and publication date, which can be filtered by entering specific document categories. In some cases, it is not possible to supply the publication as a downloadable file. If this is the case, details are provided about alternate means of obtaining a copy of the publication. Translations are available for some publications.
The resource locations and content presented within the Freedom of Information Part II Statements provide a snapshot of the information that is available and are not an exhaustive representation.
| Category/topic | Resource location |
Publications produced by VLA | |
List of additional information available on request | Public Accountability |
Statement 5 – rules, policies and procedures
This section highlights a few of the many instances in which VLA publishes internal rules, policies and procedures online.
Types of information that can be found on this site include:
- annual reports
- statements of policies and documents
- directions and guidelines
- frameworks
- guidance
- manuals of procedure
- policies and procedures that govern our daily operations and support the administrative functions of the organisation.
| Category/topic | Resource location |
Fraud and Corruption Policy | Reporting improper conduct |
Complaint Policy | Complaint Policy |
| Client Priority and Capability Policy | |
Privacy Policy | Privacy Policy |
VLA Public Accountability and Strategy | Public Accountability |
VLA Handbook | Handbook for |
Child Safe Standards | Child Safe Standards |
If there are documents of this nature that are not currently available online, requests can be submitted directly to foi@vla.vic.gov.au.
Statement 6 – report literature
This section illustrates examples of where VLA publishes final reports and records of decision relating to policy.
| Category/topic | Resource location |
Our annual reports that are published at the end of every financial year and tabled in the Victorian Parliament. Read our current annual report and previous annual reports. | Current Annual Report |
Our quarterly reports which outline our financial and service delivery performance at the end of each financial quarter, as well as a projection for the remainder of the year. Read our quarterly reports. | |
Our outcomes framework which is an eight-year view of the difference we make for our clients, the Victorian community, our partners, and the services and systems we work with. | |
Our strategic plans which outline how we will work towards a fair, just and inclusive society where people can get help with their legal problems and have a stronger voice in how laws and legal processes affect them. | Current Strategy 26 |
Our corporate plan which outlines our priorities for the year, our performance targets and annual budget, as well as our strategic advocacy priorities. | |
Our Board meeting public proceedings. | Public records of VLA board |
Our client satisfaction surveys. We conduct regular client experience surveys to help us assess how we are performing and identify ways to improve service delivery. | Client experience surveys |
Our gifts, benefits and hospitality registry of accepted and declined offers of gifts, benefits or hospitality is published for integrity, impartiality and accountability. Read our Gifts, benefits and hospitality registry. | Gifts, benefits and hospitality registry |
Our law library
We maintain a law library that is available for public use. For further information please Our law library.
Disclaimer: The material in this print-out relates to the law as it applies in the state of Victoria. It is intended as a general guide only. Readers should not act on the basis of any material in this print-out without getting legal advice about their own particular situations. Victoria Legal Aid disclaims any liability howsoever caused to any person in respect of any action taken in reliance on the contents of the publication.
We help Victorians with their legal problems and represent those who need it most. Find legal answers, chat with us online, or call us. You can speak to us in English or ask for an interpreter. You can also find more legal information at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au
Reviewed 08 November 2022