ANNUAL REPORT 2003 >Contents

ANNUAL REPORT 2003 >Contents President’s Message and Executive Director’s Message........2 Board and Staff................................3 Grants.............................................4 Access to Justice .........................10 Publications..................................12 Our priority principles upport for best practice.............15 Ten priority principles guide what we fund, publish, support S and undertake. Financial Reports...........................17 The Foundation is interested in 1. Innovation and practicality-ideas that translate into sustainable, practical solutions 2. Partnerships and collaborations-to build expertise and learning 3. Multipurpose-to realise a number of Foundation statutory objects 4. Mixing and matching constituencies-to provide benefi ts to all 5. Wide and/or deep impact-of public benefi t outcomes 6. Maximising resources-effi cient use of resources, to do ‘more with less’ 7. Accountability and evaluation-of processes and outcomes in line with the mandate and values of the Foundation 8. Balancing short term needs with long term legacy work-necessary one-off, moment-in-time projects coupled with projects that can make a lasting contribution 9. Public benefi t best practice-leadership 10. The ‘But for’ test-essential work which ‘but for’ the Foundation cannot, or would not, be undertaken Our work Victoria Law Foundation is a dynamic, innovative organisation geared to meet changing community needs. The Foundation fi lls GAPS in existing services through four key areas of activity. Grants Access to Justice Publications Support for Best Practice We provide funding for, as We undertake projects, We produce and support We promote and enhance well as broker innovative law alone and in partnership the provision of legal public benefi t best practice and justice projects. with others, to promote information resources in among the legal profession, equitable access to justice plain language for Victorian legal institutions and the for all Victorians. communities. not-for-profi t sector. 1 >President’s Message >Executive Director’s Message Upon appointment, by reason of various statutory As the new incumbent of this position I am delighted to provisions, the Chief Justice of Victoria becomes Chair join with the talented staff at the Foundation to build upon of the Judicial College of Victoria, the Council of Legal the achievements of this highly regarded public benefi t Education and President of the Victoria Law Foundation. organisation. I feel fortunate indeed to have commenced my tenure under the guidance of our committed President A combination of dedicated, effi cient staff of these of twelve years, Chief Justice John Harber Phillips AC. bodies, together with challenging agendas, make these appointments interesting additions to the Chief Justice’s We were pleased to have a chance to publicly farewell the duties rather than onerous tasks. Thus have I found the Chief Justice at a very memorable night in September. The Presidency of the Victoria Law Foundation. Justice Cabaret, showcasing the depth of talent across our sector, simultaneously served as a fundraiser for the The year under review has been a memorable one for National Trust’s Justice Museum. All those present were me. The Foundation has continued to maintain its position privileged to witness the Chief Justice’s moving ‘swan song’. as the premier publisher in Australia of practical legal On behalf of the members of our Board, staff and the many literature. friends of the Foundation, I take this opportunity to record The standard of Law Week of this year manifestly more formally our sincere appreciation to the Chief Justice surpassed that of all previous occasions of this sort. I am for his leadership and tireless support of our work over the very proud that the Foundation played such a signifi cant years. We wish him every success in his many new ventures. part in achieving this result. The highlight for me was Launching Our GAPS program the now traditional “Open Day”. In all my years as Chief Justice no experience has moved me as much as these The Foundation remains committed to using its opportunities for direct oral reporting to the public and independence and organisational fl exibility to address answering their questions about the justice system. unmet community needs. Our wide-ranging activities span four key program areas: Grants (G), Access to Justice I leave the Foundation with mixed emotions. Confi dence (A), Publications (P) and Support for best practice (S) all and satisfaction that it will go on from strength to strength. of which capitalise on a long record of innovation at the Regret that such a pleasing assignment has come to an Foundation. The GAPS program is designed to create a end. fairer, more responsive justice system. But, as the noble Horace has written At a time of greater fi nancial restraint by government, we have “But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour”. resolved to dramatically increase our grants budget. Access (Ode iii. 29) to justice initiatives, such as our Legal Artifacts and Resources for Schools (LARKS) project as well as the rejuvenation of Law Week (in collaboration with the Law Institute of Victoria) underscore the importance of community legal education for people at all stages of the lifecycle. The work of the Pro Bono Secretariat at the Foundation acknowledges the complex matrix of legal services now necessary to meet diverse legal needs. Our award winning plain language John Harber Phillips AC publications continue to inform the community and also Chief Justice and President of Victoria Law Foundation underpin the advice and support we provide to other agencies about how best to deliver legal information to their constituencies. Expert advice, project management, clearinghouse functions and marketing support are just some of the services provided by the Foundation to the community legal and not-for-profi t sectors. More generally, we generate, and are also the fi rst port of call, for new ideas about ways of improving the quality of justice. Throughout this year, we have also continued the signifi cant, but less visible, work of brokering and developing relationships and projects which link the legal community, government, not-for-profi t and public benefi t sectors. Working with legal professionals from across the whole of the sector, the Foundation is committed to modelling, promoting and supporting best practice standards and outcomes for the benefi t of the Victorian community, particularly its most vulnerable members. Always responsive to changing community needs, the Foundation is currently engaged in a major review of all aspects of our work. Our 2002-5 Strategic Plan has set the goal of ‘becoming, and being acknowledged as, a model public benefi t organisation’. As this Annual Report amply attests, we are well on the way to achieving this ambitious three year objective. Chief Justice singing at the Justice Cabaret Professor Kathy Laster Executive Director 2 >Board Ex Offi cio The Honourable Justice John Harber Phillips AC, Chief Justice of Victoria (President) The Honourable Rob Hulls MP represented by Ms Elizabeth Eldridge, Deputy Secretary, Legal and Policy, Department of Justice The President of the Law Institute of Victoria Mr David Faram (to Mar 2003) Mr Bill O’Shea (from Mar 2003) The Chairman of the Victorian Bar Council represented by Mr Phillip Dunn QC (to 12 Sep 2002) represented by Ms Kim Knights (from 13 Sep 2002) Nominated by the Chief Justice Joady Donovan, Prof David Wexler, visting Senior Fulbright Fellow, Richard Coverdale and Mr Victor Borg AM Julie Van Dort, author of ‘The Complete Guide to the Law and Managing Bodies Corporate’ Ms Alexandra Richards QC Mr Kevin Lyons >Staff Nominated by the Attorney-General Mr Jon Faine (to 17 Sep 2002) Professor Kathy Laster Executive Director (from Oct 2002) The Honourable Haddon Storey QC Mr Richard Coverdale Nominated by the Law Institute of Victoria Director of Publishing Mr Frank Paton (to 17 Dec 2002) Ms Joady Donovan Ms Eugenia Mitrakas OAM Marketing and Public Relations Manager Mr Mark Woods Aileen Duke Ms Victoria Strong (from Dec 2002) Project Manager (Teacher Release to Industry Program, TRIP from 30 Jan 2003) Co-opted Ms Pamela Grellet Mr Frank Paton (from Dec 2002) Publishing Administrator Executive Services Subgroup Ms Maria McGarvie Grants Manager (from 16 Jun 2003) The President The Honourable Haddon Storey QC Ms Beverley Paterson Offi ce Manager Mr Frank Paton Ms Alexandra Richards QC Mr Chris Adams Administrative Support Grants Subgroup Mr Victor Borg AM Temporary staff Mr Kevin Lyons Ms Kristin Giles Ms Eugenia Mitrakas OAM Special Projects Offi cer (seconded from Victorian Parliament Law Reform Committee from 28 Jan to Projects Subgroup 14 Mar 2003) Mr Jon Faine (to 17 Sep 2002) Ms Carol Ransley Mr David Faram (to Mar 2003) Project Offi cer (seconded from Equal Opportunity Mr Bill O’Shea (from Mar 2003) Commission of Victoria from 25 Mar to 20 Jun 2003) Ms Kim Knights (from 13 Sep 2002) Mr Mark Woods Farewell to staff Ms Margaret Camilleri Project Offi cer, Pro Bono Secretariat and Grants Manager (to 28 Feb 2003) Ms Annie Woodger Deputy Director (on maternity leave to Nov 2002, seconded to Department of Justice from Dec 2002 to May 2003, resigned 28 May 2003) Beverley Paterson and Aileen Duke at the Legal Reporting Awards 2003 3 >Grants Refl ect, take stock, review, renew and develop. The Grants The notable features of our new look Grants program program has seen it all this year. A key plank of the vision include: of the Foundation as identifi ed in the Strategic Plan 2003- 5 is that the Foundation will act as a consultant, advisor, 1. An increase in the level of Grants awarded to around catalyst and incubator of ideas about the legal profession, $250,000 annually (subject to the constraints of our the law, the legal system and the administration of justice.

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