ANNUAL REPORT 2013-14 SCALES improves the quality of life in the community in terms of social justice and human rights, by providing fair and equal access to ethical and competent legal education, training, research, advice, referrals and advocacy. Office Details: Rockingham o: Suite 3 St Nicholas Community Centre 14 Council Avenue ROCKINGHAM WA 6168 p: PO Box 542 ROCKINGHAM WA 6968 t: 08 9550 0400 f: 08 9527 4802 e: [email protected] w https://goto.murdoch.edu.au/scales Office Hours: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9.ooam to noon - Monday and Friday Murdoch o: Room 2.102 Law Building School of Law, Murdoch University South Street, MURDOCH WA 6150 t: 08 9360 2980 f: 08 9360 6996 SCALES Community Legal Centre Inc acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land. We acknowledge that we work on Aboriginal land, traditionally the home of people of the Noongar nation. We pay deep respect to their elders past, present and future. Contents Vision, Mission and Values .......................................................................................... 1 Chair’s Report .............................................................................................................. 2 The SCALES Team ......................................................................................................... 4 SCALES’ Staff ................................................................................................................ 5 Volunteers .................................................................................................................... 6 Managing Director’s Report......................................................................................... 7 Legal Practice Report ................................................................................................. 11 Most Common Legal Practice Issues ......................................................................... 14 Tenants Advice Line WA ............................................................................................ 15 Client Statistics ........................................................................................................... 16 Case Studies ............................................................................................................... 17 Client Testimonials ..................................................................................................... 19 Community Legal Education ...................................................................................... 20 Law and Policy Reform ............................................................................................... 21 Clinical Legal Education Report ................................................................................. 22 Human Rights Clinic Report ....................................................................................... 23 Media Coverage on systemic issues: Clinical Programme (Murdoch) ...................... 25 Law Clinic Students .................................................................................................... 28 Student Gallery .......................................................................................................... 30 Student Testimonials ................................................................................................. 33 Lawyers Practice Manual, Western Australia ............................................................ 35 Rockingham, Kwinana, Mandurah Domestic and Family Violence Conference ........ 37 Domestic Violence Legal Workers' Network ............................................................. 43 FRC Legal Assistance Partnership Programme .......................................................... 45 Committees and Networks ........................................................................................ 48 Memberships ............................................................................................................. 49 Access and Equity ...................................................................................................... 50 Funding ...................................................................................................................... 51 Treasurer’s Report ..................................................................................................... 52 Sponsors, Supporters, Partners Vision, Mission and Values We provide quality legal and community education services to the Rockingham and Kwinana community and play an instrumental role in the training of Murdoch University law students participating in our clinical legal education programme. Vision: Mission: A community where human rights are SCALES will achieve its vision by: respected and people are able to assert Working in partnership with others to those rights in a fair, affordable and provide access to justice through accessible justice system. holistic legal services including individual assistance, community education and systemic advocacy. Values: Providing opportunities for clinical Respect legal education programmes that For people and place develop the skills and ethical practice of law students within a human rights Diversity framework. Of people and communities Partnership Alone we can travel faster but together we can travel further Excellence A commitment to a quality service Integrity In all that we say and do Page | 1 Chair’s Report Future Challenges… exceeded all the targets set with regard to our information, advice and SCALES offers a fundamental resource to community legal education services. One the people in the local community as well of the highlights of the past year has been as reaching into broader legal networks. the successful collaboration of local SCALES staff support vulnerable people to service providers to run the Kwinana and negotiate the legal maze during what is Mandurah Domestic and Family Violence often an extremely stressful period in Conference. I offer that the area of their lives. SCALES staff, through their community legal education is one which networks, participate and advocate for is both an ongoing and growing need for legal reform on a local, national and timely and relevant information and as international level. well as practical support. The ever changing political arena has resulted in tighter fiscal resourcing on Murdoch University one hand while on the other a growing A unique facet of SCALES is the provision awareness of the need for broad of law clinics through partnership with community education and advocacy. It is Murdoch University. Both SCALES and a notable concern that current Murdoch University recognise the value contractual arrangements with the of enabling undergraduate law students Commonwealth CLSP have seen the to apply their theoretical knowledge in active removal of law and policy reform. real life cases under the direction and The result effectively stops SCALES from guidance of experienced practitioners. doing this type of work under Over its years of operation SCALES has Commonwealth funding. One has to ask provided this opportunity to hundreds of how can SCALES fully realise the strategic law students. This hands on experience plans, continuing networking and and insight into case management maintaining the positive profile that provides a tangible job skill on SCALES has in the local and wider graduation. The staff and Committee of community? SCALES look forward to continuing to develop and grow this initiative with Achieving Targets Murdoch University. The Committee has overseen ongoing policy development and application of activities in line with SCALES’ strategic and work plans. It is an absolute credit to Gai and her team that SCALES has Page | 2 Acknowledgements significant loss has been the recent resignation from the executive of our SCALES’ governance is supported by a Secretary Mieke Dixon. I thank Mieke for volunteer Committee of Management. providing her energy and enthusiasm to There have been a number of many a committee meeting and her membership changes over the last 12 wonderful support to me as Chair. My month period. appreciation goes to Fred Riebeling for When undertaking the development of the time he provided to SCALES as a the SCALES strategic plan last year one of committee, his forthright and strategic the activities the Committee and staff thinking has assisted with our governance undertook was a review of how long processes. people had been involved with SCALES. It To all remaining and new members of the required people to line up in historical SCALES Committee my sincere thanks for (date order) from newest to those who providing your guidance and support over had been involved the longest. At the this last reporting period. beginning of the line was our Committee member Judith Parker. Judith Parker was Roz Davey, Deputy Chairperson one of the inaugural community Joshua Watts, Treasurer (commencing in members and a SCALES stalwart over the March 2014) ensuing years. SCALES staff and Margaret Flower, Committee Member Committee alike were delighted when Justin Jones, Committee Member Judith returned to the Committee Thank you to the student representatives bringing with her a wealth experience on the SCALES committee. regarding governance and political savvy. It is with sadness that I note Judith’s To all the staff and volunteers of SCALES I resignation due to ill health in this year’s extend the gratitude of the Committee report and acknowledge the unique and for the work that has gone into