Legal Aid Queensland --- "Technology Brings Justice to Rural and Regional Queensland" [2003] IndigLawB 69; (2003) 5(28) Indigenous Law Bulletin 20

• Technology Brings Justice To Rural And Regional Queensland

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Technology Brings Justice to Rural and Regional Queensland

by Legal Aid Queensland

Queensland is a vast and diverse State that offers unique challenges to those agencies working to deliver essential services to Queenslanders. While the majority of the State’s population is concentrated in the south-east corner or in the regional cities that dot the coastline heading north, there are many towns and communities in the far north and in the west where distance has disadvantaged people’s access to services.

For Legal Aid Queensland, a statutory authority funded by both the State and Federal Governments to provide access to legal services for the socially and financially disadvantaged, meeting the legal needs of the State’s remote, rural and regional communities has been a priority for nearly a decade.

The Australian Law Reform Commission’s 1994 report “Equality Before the Law: Justice for Women” found that legal services were inadequate in rural and remote areas in Queensland and that specific services for women were virtually non-existent. The Commission found that as a consequence, people in these areas were profoundly disadvantaged in terms of their access to the justice system. This was an influencing factor in Legal Aid Queensland’s decision to commit resources to provide improved legal services outside of the south-east corner.

The problem is that in many rural and remote areas the population are too small to support a legal service. This is reflected in the fact that over 70% of private law firms are located in South-East Queensland. Added problems are the tyranny of distance and isolation that come with living in remote and rural areas. To get around these problems and to ensure that people living in rural and remote communities have equitable access to the justice system, Legal Aid Queensland has developed innovative solutions to bring legal services to the bush.

The strategies used to improve access have included harnessing state-of-the-art technology, such as videoconferencing and the Internet, to deliver legal advice and also partnering with local law firms, community groups and agencies to provide services or referrals.

Legal Aid Queensland’s Rural and Regional Strategy Coordinator Louise Whitaker said the use of technology had been a key spoke in the organisation’s strategy to meet the needs of Queenslanders living outside the State’s metropolitan areas.

“Few organisations could match Legal Aid Queensland’s use of videoconferencing technology,” she said. “We use videoconferencing technology to provide legal advice to people who live in rural and regional communities, but we also use it to provide legal advice into Queensland’s prisons and correctional facilities. Legal Aid has worked to set-up the videoconferencing facilities in local communities, or people can use existing videoconferencing services in other agencies to link-up with the closest Legal Aid office to talk to a solicitor.

“A local resident can visit, let’s say for example, the Neighbourhood Centre in Winton, which is linked to the Western Queensland Justice Network and see and speak to the network’s solicitor in Mt Isa via a personal computer. The solicitor is also able to see and speak to them.

“The advantage of being able to see who you are talking to is that it enhances communication - you can relate a lot more to someone you can see. This is very important if you are, for example, a domestic violence victim. You need to see that the person that you are talking to understands what you are going through.”

During 2003, Legal Aid Queensland worked with the Department of Corrective Services and Department of Families to have videoconferencing equipment installed Queensland’s correctional facilities, thanks to a grant from Networking the Nation.[1]

“The project has allowed people who live in rural and remote communities to stay in touch with family members who are currently in prison,” Ms Whitaker said. “Research shows that by staying in touch with their families, offenders have a much better chance of returning to their community as a family member rather than a stranger.

“The installation of the videoconferencing has had a double benefit for Legal Aid Queensland, as we can now use the equipment to provide more legal advice services to prisoners.”

Legal Aid Queensland’s Internet site is another way legal information is made available to those who don’t have easy access to a local Legal Aid office. The website – www.legalaid.qld.gov.au – is one of the most comprehensive legal information websites in the country, with a large legal information database available to search which is updated regularly by the organisation’s solicitors. The site also includes all of the organisation’s publications – including factsheets, information booklets, self-help kits and promotional materials.

All Queenslanders regardless of their location can also access Legal Aid Queensland’s award winning Client Information Service Centre and receive free legal information from a trained officer, all for the cost of a local call.

An Indigenous hotline is also available at local call costs, providing specific services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

“Through the website, videoconferencing and the call centre, Indigenous Queenslanders have access to the full range of legal aid services, no matter where they live,” Ms Whitaker said. “Without the use of this technology, there is no way Legal Aid Queensland would be able to adequately meet the needs of people living outside the south-east corner or our larger regional cities.”

As well as utilising the latest technology, Legal Aid Queensland has partnered with law firms (known as preferred suppliers), community organisations and other agencies to improve service delivery. Partnerships have been developed with almost 400 private law firms around Queensland to ensure demand for legal aid services is able to be met in local communities. Preferred suppliers undertake work on Legal Aid Queensland’s behalf in general crime matters, juvenile justice, life matters, general family law and general civil law. In fact, preferred suppliers complete around 70% of all legal aid work, a fact that highlights their vital contribution to the provision of legal aid services around the State.

Community Access Points (CAPS) are another key element of Legal Aid Queensland’s approach to servicing the legal needs of rural and remote communities. Ms Whitaker said the Community Access Points program aimed to provide improved legal information and advice services in Queensland towns that did not have a Legal Aid regional office.

“The program works by building collaborative arrangements with local community-organisations which are already providing vital services to residents,” she said. “These are the organisations people turn to for support in difficult circumstances. They are the neighbourhood centres, Queensland government agencies, courthouses and hospitals and often the support people are looking for is of a legal nature. To assist these organisations in helping their community, we set them up as Community Access Points, providing them with a range of legal information, materials, training and tools to assist people with legal problems.”

The CAP program has received enthusiastic support from communities, with 34 organisations now involved. “I think the success of the program comes down to the fact that people trust local people, so when they’ve got a problem, they want to talk to a local about it,” she said. “Having a community access point in your town means you can receive both familiar local support and the opportunity to get confidential advice from an expert over the phone or through videoconferencing. We have trained local information workers at each site to assist people. They’re on hand to set up the links and show people how to use the system – but once the client has the hang of the system, they leave them to speak in private with their solicitor.”

Access to the Community Access Point network is free.

Through the use of technology and the establishment of working partnerships with other groups and agencies, Legal aid Queensland has been able to enhance access to justice for Queenslanders. “Just because you live outside the big cities and towns, say in a farming area, a mining town or in an Indigenous community, does not mean you should be prevented from accessing essential services,” Ms Whitaker said. “By using technology, we are able to restore access to legal services and to give people in the bush the same level of access to legal services that urban people take for granted.”

For further information about Legal Aid Queensland services contact the Indigenous Hotline on 1300 650 143.

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[1] An Australian Government initiative designed to assist the economic and social development of rural Australia through funding projects aimed at improving telecommunication and enhancing and promoting access to services.