Cheyanne R.’s Post

I had the pleasure of doing some work on the French version of this report, and I can say that it should be of interest to anyone working with people experiencing homelessness, not just legal professionals. The legal landscape around the use of public space by people experiencing unsheltered homelessness has changed rapidly in recent years, and we are not always aware of the rights that people living in parks or other spaces have. To adopt a rights-based approach, we first need to understand what those rights are, and this paper is a good starting point.

like Chengying Cai, we all have had applications rejected in our faces (which we oh-so-much-wanted!); but at the end of it all, it will come full circle in one way or form, when you are willing to be open to grow; learn and take everything with grace and not resentment. perhaps, in that situation during that space and time, indeed will be the most devastating feeling ever, but i assure you - the universe is magical and works in the most wondrous ways; though only when you truly love your life. in the spirit of the mental health week, i concur her lessons that academic achievements is not all that there is, as the value friendships is indeed invaluable that many don't speak of. and thus, i concur with her, especially this: "Camaraderie is critical to sustainability in the profession. I shared in the article, “Having friendships in the profession is something that is so precious. It helps you get by…. When things get tough, your classmates will understand because you are on the same journey.” <3

Djirra welcomes the release of the Independent Review of the National Legal Assistance Partnership (NLAP) today. The Review led by eminent person, Dr Warren Mundy, sets out crucial calls for the future of legal assistance to the most vulnerable people in Australia today. The current NLAP expires in June 2025. Legal assistance for vulnerable people is not just about being in court at the end of a process. Rather, it is ESSENTIAL early intervention that saves lives and prevents untold and hugely costly damage to individuals, families and the State. For Djirra and our sister family violence prevention and legal services (FVPLSs) this includes essential, culturally safe and holistic legal and non-legal assistance to Aboriginal women and children experiencing family and sexual violence. We NEED Governments to commit to Dr Mundy’s recommendations for: • Quarantining & indexing of FVPLS funding • Applying loading to allow for the complexity & longevity of supports • Reallocating funding from mainstream legal services to ACCOs so Aboriginal women are first offered culturally safe legal assistance • National coverage for FVPLSs • Longer term agreements, 5 years+ We also URGENTLY need the Department of Social Services to start funding FVPLS non-legal services which are integral to the integrity of the holistic service model. We are deeply concerned about the timing of announcements for a successor to NLAP, given the Federal election by May 2025 and State elections in Qld, WA & NT which mean purdah periods and limited time to form agreements. We need certainty. We need funding. We need to do more to support Aboriginal women and children’s safety. Aboriginal women’s lives matter. We call on Federal, State and Territory Governments to URGENTLY form a successor agreement to NLAP and to INVEST in FVPLSs. #NationalReconciliationWeek #NowMoreThanEver #AboriginalWomensLivesMatter #NRW2024 Antoinette Braybrook AM

The Ministry of Justice's report on the findings of the Legal Needs Survey was released last week. Community Law has released a statement in response: "The needs of people with civil legal issues are often over-looked but the survey finding that one-third of the population experiences these issues and that 10% of the people have 75% of the civil legal problems is a wake-up call to policy-makers [...] More must be done to provide access to justice to prevent the ongoing social harm caused by injustice. These findings are consistent with [...] research in other countries and also consistent with Community Law’s experiences.” Link to the full press release below.

The Law Society of Ireland's Budget 2025 priorities highlight critical issues in our justice system, but are they addressing the real problems? While calling for investment in civil legal aid, criminal legal aid, and digitalisation, key issues are overlooked. Despite the Law Society's call for reform, several crucial issues remain unaddressed in their proposal. These include the need for comprehensive criminal justice system reform, addressing the severely inadequate civil legal aid system, and tackling the persistent two-tier justice system that favours those with greater financial means.  These omissions raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of the proposed reforms in addressing systematic and generational failures within the Irish justice system.  https://lnkd.in/eYHuUt-8 #JusticeForAll #LegalReform #IrishLaw #LegalAid #JusticeSystem #LawSocietyIreland #Budget2025 #CriminalJustice #CivilLegalAid #LegalReformNeeded #AccessToJustice

Access to Justice is a global issue that needs all hands on deck, and support from all angles - pro bono, legal aid, technology, community justice workers, justice tech, and more. Excellent report from Australia: 🔔 "..our legal assistance sector has suffered greatly under decades of funding neglect and cannot keep up with demand for services. For example, women’s legal services in this country have reported they are having to turn away more than 50,000 women a year." 🔔 "The majority of current committed funding to our legal assistance sector runs out in less than 12 months." 🔔 "Transformational change is required—and required now—to give these vital services the stability and certainty they need and deserve, and to ensure that access to justice is facilitated for all.”

📢 Pro Bono news! In the vibrant heart of East London, the borough of Newham weaves together a rich tapestry of diverse cultures and stories. Yet, there lies a pressing challenge: the urgent need for equitable legal access. The recently published report, “Disparity to Fairness: Legal Access in Newham,” produced collaboratively by Fieldfisher, the Public Law Project, local MP Stephen Timms, and the Newham community, brings this critical issue into focus. The following video showcases the transformative Pro Bono efforts of the Newham Legal Aid Project. This initiative not only addresses the gap in legal access but also underlines the need for the report which sheds light on the significant hurdles faced by Newham residents when seeking legal advice, particularly in the domains of immigration and housing. These are two fundamental pillars that underpin a secure and stable life. Watch the video to see our commitment to justice in action. #ProBono #LegalAccess #NewhamProject #Equity #Community #Collaboration

Funds from the Massachusetts IOLTA Committee make a significant difference in the lives of real people and in our communities by supporting legal help for people across the Commonwealth who cannot afford an attorney. In partnership with the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, and the Boston Bar Foundation of the Boston Bar Association, IOLTA grants increase the capacity of legal aid organizations to offer critical assistance to those who have few resources to address civil legal issues, including domestic violence, housing, immigration status, child advocacy, family law, discrimination, and health care. Learn more about the IOLTA program and where that money goes: http://ow.ly/Trtq50Jzpg5 #LegalAidChangesLives #JusticeForAll

Yesterday I submitted my evidence to the 'Review of Civil Legal Aid' being run by the UK government. Today I submitted my evidence to the UK Parliament Public Estimates Committee on 'Value for Money from Legal Aid'. Many agencies are trying in a broken, underfunded system. Total redesign needed not miserable patching up. I proffer some alternatives based on an evidence base but also  more effective, efficient models in Australia. I drew on my impact evaluation experience about what makes a difference based on lived experience. Hopefully suggestions will be heeded.  https://lnkd.in/e2FxpNsG

🌟 Introducing our 8 Principles for Community Lawyering in the UK 🌟 Our recent report on Community Lawyering draws on community voices to give insights into the gaps and challenges faced by community organisations in accessing legal support. In our report, we suggest an urgent need for alternative models of legal support for community organisations in the UK. #CommunityLawyering ➡ https://lnkd.in/eRGDnTRk Based on this research and conversations with grassroots leaders and community activists, we’ve developed a set of guiding principles for #CommunityLawyering that will improve the legal support offer for grassroots organisations led by and for minoritised communities. We apply these principles to our work and expect they will evolve based on feedback from the community organisations we work with. The 8 principles are: 1.  We share lived experiences with, or will develop a deep shared understanding of, our clients’ community contexts. 2.  We stand in solidarity with our clients’ work. 3.  We understand the systemic barriers that communities face in accessing legal support 4.  We try to proactively dismantle barriers to legal support by adopting an ‘access to justice’ approach in our legal practice. 5.  We embrace collaborative and reciprocal approaches to exchanging knowledge. 6.  We actively democratise and distribute access to legal knowledge. 7.  We advise on intersecting community and individual needs. 8.  We situate our work within wider movements for social justice. #CommunityLawyering #SocialJustice #LegalSupport #CommunityEngagement