Evidence of Legal Need in NSW to Support the Cameron Review Implementation
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EVIDENCE OF LEGAL NEED IN NSW TO SUPPORT THE CAMERON REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 Evidence of legal need in NSW to support the Cameron Review implementation Sarah Randell, Geoff Mulherin and Catriona Mirrlees-Black Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales October 2018 This report is published by the Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales, an independent, not-for-profit organisation that seeks to advance the fairness and equity of the justice system, and to improve access to justice, especially for socially and economically disadvantaged people. This report was prepared by the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW with the financial support of the NSW Government. Authors: Sarah A. Randell, Geoff Mulherin and Catriona Mirrlees-Black Title: Evidence of legal need in NSW to support the Cameron Review implementation ISBN: 978-0-9945950-9-6 (ebook) Publisher Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales Level 13, 222 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000 PO Box A109 Sydney South NSW 1235 Ph: +61 2 8227 3200 Email: [email protected] Web: www.lawfoundation.net.au © Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales, October 2018 This publication is copyright. It may be reproduced in part or in whole for educational purposes as long as proper credit is given to the Foundation. Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation’s Board of Governors. Photo by Denis Binnion https://www.flickr.com/photos/82134796@N03/33677979424/in/dateposted/ shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license. Evidence of legal need in NSW Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. 3 Shortened forms ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Background ............................................................................................................................................. 5 The information in this report ................................................................................................................ 7 Section 1: Information on priority groups ............................................................................................. 11 The experience of legal problems .................................................................................................... 12 The experience of multiple disadvantage ...................................................................................... 12 Need for Legal Assistance Services (NLAS): CLC indicator ......................................................... 13 General population ............................................................................................................................. 15 People who are financially disadvantaged ................................................................................... 17 Children and young people (0 to 24 years) ................................................................................... 20 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ................................................................................... 22 Older people (aged over 65 years) ................................................................................................. 24 People experiencing, or at risk of, family violence ....................................................................... 26 People experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness........................................................................... 28 People in custody and prisoners ....................................................................................................... 30 People residing in rural or remote areas ......................................................................................... 32 People who are culturally and linguistically diverse ..................................................................... 34 People with a disability or mental illness.......................................................................................... 37 People with low education levels ..................................................................................................... 40 Single parents ....................................................................................................................................... 42 Section 2: Information by catchment .................................................................................................. 44 Central Coast ....................................................................................................................................... 47 Elizabeth Evatt ...................................................................................................................................... 49 Far West .................................................................................................................................................. 51 Hume Riverina ....................................................................................................................................... 53 Hunter ..................................................................................................................................................... 55 Illawarra.................................................................................................................................................. 57 Inner City ................................................................................................................................................ 59 Kingsford ................................................................................................................................................ 61 Macarthur .............................................................................................................................................. 63 Marrickville ............................................................................................................................................. 65 Mid North Coast ................................................................................................................................... 67 North and North West.......................................................................................................................... 69 Law and Justice Foundation of NSW October 2018 1 Evidence of legal need in NSW Northern Rivers ...................................................................................................................................... 71 Redfern ................................................................................................................................................... 73 Shoalcoast ............................................................................................................................................. 75 South West Sydney............................................................................................................................... 77 Western NSW ......................................................................................................................................... 79 Western Sydney .................................................................................................................................... 81 No Generalist – Central region .......................................................................................................... 84 No Generalist – Northern region ........................................................................................................ 86 No Generalist – Southern region ....................................................................................................... 88 No Generalist – Western region ......................................................................................................... 90 References................................................................................................................................................. 92 Appendix 1: Strategies to make legal assistance services more appropriate and accessible 94 Appendix 2: Overlap between priority demographic groups ........................................................ 97 Appendix 3: SA4 maps ............................................................................................................................ 98 Law and Justice Foundation of NSW October 2018 2 Evidence of legal need in NSW Acknowledgements The Law and Justice Foundation of NSW (LJF) has been able to produce this resource in part thanks to the provision of data, information and advice from a number of agencies including Community Legal Centres NSW, Legal Aid NSW, NSW Department of Justice and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The LJF has also benefited from the comments provided on earlier drafts of this report. The LJF acknowledges Community Legal Centres Queensland for the work they have produced for the Queensland jurisdiction and notes that the format of this report is based on the Updated evidence and analysis of legal need report prepared and published by Community Legal Centres Qld Inc. Law and Justice Foundation of NSW October 2018 3 Evidence of legal