Useful Reports:

2007:

- Review of the NSW Community Legal Centres Funding Program Report (2006) (3.6mb pdf document).

-2007 CCLCG State Election Policy Platform Promoting Fairness and Justice in NSW

- The Responsibility to Protect: Creating and Implementing a New International Norm
Address by Gareth Evans, President, International Crisis Group Forum organised by Community Legal Centres and Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, Sydney, 28 August 2007.
The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) populations from genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity is an international commitment by governments to prevent and react to grave crises, wherever they may occur. In 2005, world leaders agreed, for the first time, that states have a primary responsibility to protect their own populations and that the international community has a responsibility to act when these governments fail to protect the most vulnerable among us. The Security Council has also accepted the general principle. But the task remains, as each new danger of mass atrocity crimes threatens, to translate that principled acceptance into effective action – at the international, national and community level.
Click here for a copy of the presentation

2005:

“We’re still standing!”
NSW Community Legal Centres State Conference 2005

20-21 June 2005, Sydney Masonic Centre - 279 Castlereagh Street

This conference will be an opportunity to explore a variety of current issues in the justice system, participate in skills training and professional development sessions, network and more! The focus will be on developing the law and legal systems to be more accessible and equitable for disadvantaged and marginalised communities.

The conference is intended for community workers, lawyers and academics, working in the community, academic, government and private sectors. The first day, 20 June is Internal - for CLC staff, volunteers and management committee members. The second day 21 June, is open to everyone.

UPDATED!! THE FULL PROGRAM FOR THE CONFERENCE. Conference program details. (please note, there may still be amendments made to the final program, which will be available at the conference.)

• 20 June - join us for the harbour cruise!
• 21 June 2005 - join us for the launch of the NSW Legal Assistance Forum.

Registration for both events is on the conference brochure.

For further information about the conference contact.
Alison_Aggarwal@fcl.fl.asn.au - Ph: 02 9318 2355

2004:

Changes to the Disability Discrimination Act

The Federal Government recently announced a Bill to amend the Disability Discrimination Act to allow discrimination against "drug addicts". Community legal centres are concerned that this move is in contravention of Australia's human rights obligations, and will promote intolerance and stereotyping of drug users.

Click here for the CCLCG briefing paper or go to the website www.disabilitydiscrimination.info for more information on the proposed laws.

2003:

CCLCG Annual Report 2002-2003

Click here for the latest CCLCG Annual Report (pdf)

Submission to the Australian Board of Taxation regarding the Charities Bill 2003

In July 2003 the Federal Treasurer announced the release of draft legislation on the definition of "charity". The legislation was the Government's long-awaited response to a 2000 Inquiry into the Definition of Charities and Related Organisations. The final report of this Inquiry, released in 2001, recommended that legislation should replace the common law. The report also endorsed the right of charities to engage in law reform and systemic advocacy on behalf of their clients or members. The report is available at www.cdi.gov.au

The Charities Bill 2003 does pick up some of the recommendations of the 2001 inquiry, however it rejects the Inquiry's recommendations regarding the right to engage in advocacy. Instead, the Charities Bill 2003 puts limites on the right of charities to engage in law reform, systemic advocacy or lobbying. The Bill states that if such activities are "more than ancillary or incidental" to the charitable purposes of the organisation, then the organisation could lose their charitable status. The draft Bill is available at www.taxboard.gov.au

The Combined Community Legal Centres Group made a submission to the Board of Taxation regarding the Charities Bill states that it is a crucial function of community legal centres to engage in law reform, where such reform is in the interests of our clients. If legal centres are threatened with loss of charitable status when they speak out against government law or policy, this will silence our voices and thus the voices of our clients. Such a move is an attack on democracy, notions of civil society and human rights regarding the right to free speech.

Click here for a copy of the CCLCG submission to the Board of Taxation

30 September 2003

Submission to the Senate Inquiry into Legal Aid and Access to Justice

The Senate is currently conducting an Inquiry into the state of legal aid funding and broader issues of access to justice. The Combined Community Legal Centres Group put in a detailed submission which made major recommendations to improve the provision of legal services across NSW. This submission finds that crucial changes are needed including: increaased funding to exisitng community legal centres, better provision of services in rural and remote areas, and improved services for indigenous people.

Click here for a copy of the submission to the Senate Inquiry.

22 September 2003

CCLCG NSW Launches Women and the Law Election Agenda

The Women and the Law Election Agenda is a compilation of issues developed by the Combined Community legal Centres' Group NSW in collaboration with our members as well as other community sectors and individuals.

Women are the majority of swing voters in Australia and as such are a significant population when it comes to elections. Literally, elections can be won or lost for potential Governments if women vote on shared interests and common concerns. This agenda is an initiative to establish common ground on key issues for women of all ages, backgrounds, interests and political affiliations and to influence political outcomes favorable for women. Women's participation in political decision-making is not only an act of democracy it is also essential for women's interests to be taken into account. We call on all political parties to take an interest in this agenda, and respond to its calls for legislative changes, increases in funding, access to legal and other services, and better justice outcomes for all. This is an agenda towards women's human rights and gender equality.

Click here for a copy of the Women and the Law Election Agenda (pdf)

2002:

NSW Combined Community Legal Centres State Conference 2002

Over 100 CLC workers, community organisations, government departments and interested people attended the two day conference in November, Skilling Up, Reaching Out - Strategies for Justice.

On Day One, delegates gained practical skills for CLC workers with sessions primarily focused on legal issues and related practice, legislative and employment issues.

Day Two Beyond Law and Order focused on the forth coming NSW State Election. Panels, launches and workshops critiqued the current 'law and order' election agenda and advocated for the inclusion of broader justice issues as part of the NSW political program.

Click here for a copy of the Strategies for Justice program

Annual Report 2001-2002

Available online Click here

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