LAQ's YouTube channel
July 2013 

In this issue:

CLE Collaboration Fund grant recipients announced

Congratulations to the round three CLE Collaboration Fund grant recipients. The fund resources collaborative CLE initiatives that help vulnerable people identify legal problems early, understand their legal rights and responsibilities and how to access legal help.

Our round 3 CLE Collaboration Fund grant recipients are:

  • Queensland Aged and Disability Advocacy (QADA): to deliver workshops on Queensland's guardianship framework to community members and aged care service providers in regional Queensland.

  • Suncoast Community Legal Service: to convert the Personal Injury Self Help Kit publication into a web-based application for the community to use.

  • Queensland Public Interest Law Clearing House (QPILCH) Homeless Persons' Legal Clinic: to develop a Legal Health Check online training program to help support workers identify their vulnerable clients' legal issues, so they can be referred to appropriate legal services.

  • Nundah Community Legal Service:to deliver information sessions to the local community on common legal issues.

  • Refugee and Immigration Legal Service:to deliver information sessions to community support workers on changes to the family violence provisions in the Migration Regulations 1994.

  • Regional Legal Assistance Forum networks: to resource community legal education activities in regional areas in partnership with other local legal service agencies.

As part of this round, we awarded three external evaluation grants to resource project evaluations by external researchers. These evaluations will determine how CLE is helping people to progress or resolve their legal problems. Congratulations to QADA, Suncoast Community Legal Service and QPILCH on receiving these evaluation grants.

Information and referral legal assistance forum

On Thursday, 20 June we partnered with the Queensland Legal Assistance Forum to host a legal assistance forum on information and referral services.

The session focused on how the sector could offer a collaborative and connected information and referral service for all Queenslanders, especially the most vulnerable and socially disadvantaged in our communities. Participants were able to identify potential gaps in service delivery within the sector.

A panel of representatives — from Legal Aid Queensland, QPILCH, Department of Human Services, Tenants' Union of Queensland, Welfare Rights Centre, Brisbane Domestic Violence and Advocacy Service and the Logan Family Relationships Centre — worked through two fictional client scenarios identifying the clients' complex needs and the importance of developing strong networks to address the issues and minimise the client's risk of social exclusion.

We hope to continue to hold these forums in the future. More information will be provided in upcoming CLE-bulletins.

Law Week — legal precinct open day

To help celebrate Law Week 2013, we took part in the legal precinct open day on Saturday, 18 May.

The open day included free activities for families and students interested in the legal system. Mock trials, guided tours and information sessions gave an insight into the courts and legal system. Legal Aid Queensland Public Defender Carl Heaton QC took part in a crime and punishment hypothetical hosted by the Chief Justice of Queensland in the Banco Court.

Visitors to our information stall received a bag full of publications, including factsheets, wallet cards and legal information guides.

Homeless Connect

Our lawyers attended the Brisbane City Council's Homeless Connect event to provide legal advice and assistance to homeless people or those at risk of becoming homeless.

The event provides free food, medical/dental care, clothing/shoes and haircuts/hygiene services. There is also information and direct access to essential and ongoing services such as housing, employment, government assistance and legal services.

Domestic violence hypothetical

Sue Jensen from our Mackay office was influential in planning a hypothetical event to educate the community about domestic violence, as part of domestic violence prevention month.

The expert panel presented a fictional story to demonstrate the issues faced by people experiencing domestic violence.

The panel comprised representatives from Lowanna House, If Only Perpetrator Program, Department of Communities Child Safety, The Family Law Centre, Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research, Southside Medical Practice, Queensland Health’s Sexual Health & Sexual Assault Service, Domestic Violence Resource Service, Queensland Police Service Domestic Family Violence Division.

With the success of this event, planning is already underway for next year’s event.

Publications update

Our publications and resources provide information on a range of common legal problems, including consumer protection, debt, criminal law, family law, child protection, domestic violence and youth justice.

You can download our free legal resources from the Legal Aid Queensland website.
Our publications are updated regularly in line with legislative changes. Here are some of our recent updates and reprints:

Publications ordering system

We are in the process of transferring our online publications ordering system to a new provider. All Legal Aid Queensland publications can be ordered by emailing publications@legalaid.qld.gov.au. We hope to have the new system up and running shortly.

Community legal education sessions

We can provide community legal education and information sessions on a variety of legal topics such as:

  • need legal help
  • family law
  • domestic violence
  • child protection
  • anti-discrimination
  • consumer protection issues.

Information sessions are tailored to audience needs, whether it's for the community sector, government service providers or community members. These sessions are subject to our staff’s availability. For more information, please contact communitylegaled@legalaid.qld.gov.au