Annual & Financial Report
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FITZROY LEGAL SERVICE ANNUAL & FINANCIAL REPORT Empowerment Integrity Respect Quality Participation 2014 — 2015 www.fitzroy-legal.org.au fitzroy-legal.org.au 1. CONTENTS ABOUT FITZROY LEGAL ANNUAL REPORT FINANCIAL REPORT SERVICE 1 About Fitzroy Legal Service 30 Introduction 2 — 3 FLS services 31 Income and Expenditure Statement Fitzroy Legal Service (FLS) opened in 1972 and is one of the oldest community 4 Funding and support legal centres in Australia. Over its 42 years, FLS has become an inner-city 32 Assets and Liabilities Statement community institution, helping generations of clients with legal problems, 5 Statistics championing law reform, running test cases and providing the community 33 Statement of Cash Flows with legal information. FLS is an independent, not for profit, community based 6 Five Year Trends organisation, governed by a volunteer Board. 34 — 38 Notes to the Financial Statements 7 Our people 39 Statement by Members 8 — 9 Chair Report of the Board 10 — 11 Executive Officer’s Report 40 — 41 Independent Audit Report 12 FLS Strategic Plan 2015–2020 42 Detailed Statement of Assets and Liabilities 13 FLS goals and objectives 43 Detailed Income Statement 14 — 15 Board Committees 44 Project Funds Summary 16 — 17 Legal Practice 18 — 23 Social Action 24 — 25 Volunteer Program 26 — 27 Volunteers 28 — 29 Publications 124 Johnston St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 T (03) 9419 3744 Volunteers with The Law Handbook 2015 2. FitzroyFitzroy LegalLegal ServiceService —— AnnualAnnual ReportReport && FinancialFinancial ReportReport 20142014 —— 20152015 fitzroy-legal.org.au 1. Outreach is provided fortnightly at the following Taxi Driver Legal Assistance Program locations: In June 2014 FLS was granted funding by the Taxi Services • YSAS (Youth Support and Advocacy Services): Commission to provide legal services to taxi drivers. The 185–187 Langridge St, Abbotsford; funding was used to employ an experienced lawyer, one day per week, to undertake legal casework for a 12-month period. FLS SERVICES • Living Room: 7–9 Hosier Lane, Melbourne; • Inner Space: 4 Johnston St, Collingwood; Social justice and advocacy The Social Action team works within a community • North Richmond Community Health Centre: development framework to engage in strategies of 23 Lennox St, Richmond; and empowerment for communities and individuals in their • Odyssey House: 660 Bridge Road, Richmond. dealings with the law. These strategies include: Legal practice FLS also conducts a generalist legal advice service at North Richmond Community Health Centre (on Tuesday • public interest litigation; The practice specialises in criminal law, infringements, evenings by appointment). Neighbourhood Justice Centre intervention orders, and family law. The practice is funded • advocacy in areas of policy and law reform; The Neighbourhood Justice Centre (NJC) is Australia’s only through grants of legal aid and private client fees with fee The legal advice service utilises significant pro bono support community justice centre. It is located in Collingwood and structures designed to assist clients ineligible for legal aid. from members of the legal sector (community members, • partnership building and engagement/collaboration services the City of Yarra. The NJC is committed to resolving students and practitioners) who volunteer their services to with stakeholders; disputes by addressing the underlying causes of harmful make the law and legal support accessible to members of Legal advice service behaviour and tackling social disadvantage. By bringing the community. • a wide reaching community legal education program. The free legal advice service is conducted year-round, together a multi-jurisdictional court with a wide array of Monday to Friday, from 6.30–8pm. It is a drop-in, support services and community initiatives, the NJC has been FLS works across programs to identify trends, legal literacy generalist legal advice service that assists clients with a Drug Outreach Lawyer Program effective in reducing crime, increasing community safety, and needs, and law reform priorities for our social justice creating savings through fewer cases in the system. and advocacy work. range of matters. No appointments are taken – clients are The Drug Outreach Lawyer aims to assist individuals with seen on a first-in first-served basis, except where they are legal problems related to drug use. The Drug Outreach matched to volunteers with specific expertise. FLS provides three staff members who are based at the Publications and online resources Lawyer works closely and collaboratively with individuals and NJC: a Senior Community Lawyer, a Community Lawyer, other members of the community to assist with rehabilitation, Other community legal centres that do not have the capacity and a Family Lawyer. Their work includes: FLS publishes and distributes a range of hardcopy focusing on areas of high need and harm minimisation. to provide the level of drop-in advice services provided by and online material including: • providing legal advice and representation in the following FLS regularly refer clients to our service. The Drug Outreach Lawyer works closely with relevant health jurisdictions of the NJC Court: Magistrates’ Court • The Law Handbook (LHB) – agencies and the community within the City of Yarra, and (including the Family Violence Intervention Order List, hardcopy, ebook and online at This generalist service is supplemented by three provides legal information to this community. specialist clinics: summary crime), VCAT (the Residential Tenancies, Civil, www.lawhandbook.org.au; Guardianship and Administration Lists), Children’s Court, • family law clinic: Tuesday and Thursday evenings by VOCAT and Infringement Court matters (including hearings • Services Directory for appointment in the Special Circumstances List); Drug and Alcohol Users – www.vicdrugguide.org.au; • LGBTIQ legal advice service: Thursday evenings, • assisting to provide general legal advice to residents from fortnightly, by appointment. the City of Yarra who attend the NJC; this includes (but is • Activists Rights – not limited to) advice on matters of criminal law, family law, www.activistrights.org.au; • animal law clinic: Friday evenings tenancy, family violence and personal safety; by appointment. • NDIS Rights – www.ndisrights.org.au. • attending a fortnightly outreach ‘Billabong’ at Harmsworth Hall in Collingwood, and a monthly outreach at St Mary’s House of Welcome in Fitzroy; and GENERALIST LEGAL ADVICE CLINICS • actively contributing to the multi-agency leadership group, to community engagement, community development, community legal education and progress systemic change where appropriate. MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY 591 617 563 507 329 CLIENTS CLIENTS CLIENTS CLIENTS CLIENTS NEIGHBOURHOOD JUSTICE CENTRE CASE STUDY 706 775 659 640 403 LEGAL ADVICES LEGAL ADVICES LEGAL ADVICES LEGAL ADVICES LEGAL ADVICES Mary lived in public housing and was the protected person in relation to a family violence PROVIDED PROVIDED PROVIDED PROVIDED PROVIDED intervention order application made by Victoria Police. Mary had also spent time in custody in relation to criminal matters. Mary did not have a key to her mailbox and was therefore unable to access her mailbox. Mary missed her tenancy hearing at VCAT as she was not aware of the hearing. FLS staff worked together with other services at the NJC to make contact with Mary, advise her about the missed hearings and her right to apply for a review. The matter was successfully negotiated through alternative dispute resolution and consent orders before VCAT. In the course of assisting Mary, FLS was able to also assist Mary to apply for a change of locks due to the circumstances of family violence and apply for a new key to her mailbox. Without the assistance of FLS, it is possible that Mary’s tenancy could have been terminated in circumstances where she was unaware of the Notice to Vacate or VCAT hearing because she did not have a key to her mailbox. 2. Fitzroy Legal Service — Annual Report & Financial Report 2014 — 2015 fitzroy-legal.org.au 3. FUNDING AND STATISTICS SUPPORT DRUG OUTREACH LAWYER PROGRAM ANIMAL LAW CLINIC MAIN PROBLEM TYPES Core ongoing funding is provided by Victoria Legal Aid and the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department. We thank them for their ongoing support. FLS would also like to thank the • Victorian Government for supporting • Christopher Tran; following organisations and the Drug Outreach Lawyer Program; individuals for their contributions: • Ashurst; • Erica Foundation and Telematics • Allens for pro bono support, Trust for funding The Law Handbook • Clayton Utz; secretarial assistance and funding online redevelopment; the Trainee Lawyer position; • Colin Biggers & Paisley; • Paul Glass; 112 casework files — 46 advices 40 legal advices provided • Armstrong Legal and Aitken • CoHealth; Partners for supporting The Law • Dr G Pikering; • Deloittes Access Economics; Handbook online; • John Campbell; • Federation of Community Legal RICHMOND OUTREACH TAXI DRIVER LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM • City of Yarra for funding for the Centres (Vic); legal advice service, CALD Family • Michael Kingston; MAIN PROBLEM TYPES Violence Project and The Law • Mr Wow’s Emporium; • Human Rights Law Centre; Handbook launch; 32.65% Government/administration • Caz Reitops Dirty Secrets Bar. • Jones Lang LaSalle; • Neighbourhood Justice Centre for issues relating to fines their contribution towards funding • Lawyers for Animals; 13.27% Road traffic and motor vehicle We also acknowledge