Justice where we live
People deserve equitable access to justice and due process wherever they live.
Barriers to justice
Government approaches to justice problems often fail to deliver for regional and remote communities. People living in these communities are the best source of solutions to local problems, but governments too often overlook their ideas. Forcing inappropriate solutions on regional and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities gets in the way of progress on Closing the Gap.
Digital solutions are rarely an appropriate replacement for in-person service delivery in regional and remote communities. Internet coverage can be unreliable. Rates of literacy, digital literacy, and income are lower. Rates of disability and domestic, family, and sexual violence are higher. These factors and more limit the usefulness of virtual solutions.
Anna lives in a small remote community that is a several hours’ drive from the nearest community legal centre. There is inconsistent mobile reception in the area where she lives, particularly during different weather patterns. When people in that community want to speak to people outside of the community when the mobile system is not working, they need to arrange to use the landline telephone at the school or drive many hours to the nearest town. Anna has a sensitive legal problem which is personal and traumatic. A recent weather event means that she cannot use her mobile telephone. Anna feels worried about asking to use the landline telephone at the school because she isn’t sure if her conversation will be confidential. She doesn’t know how to tell the school about why she needs to speak to a lawyer urgently.
Regional and remote communities have access to fewer services (both number and type). This leaves services that operate in these communities trying to meet a broad range of needs for people who don’t have access to other supports.
Regional and remote communities function differently from those in urban areas. Communities are tight-knit, and people often prefer face-to-face connection. It takes time and effort to build trust. Services regularly make long round trips to build relationships with local people and services and provide in-person support.
Many Tribunals and Courts don’t sit in regional and remote communities, and transport options are limited and expensive. People who travel to regional centres to attend hearings in person often experience huge financial strain. Those who simply can’t afford to are often denied access to justice altogether.
Mary was in an abusive relationship and her partner was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after a serious incident. Mary was summoned to give evidence against her ex-partner to the Court via audio-video link (AVL) from the closest police station. Mary lives in a very remote community with no police station and no AVL system that connects to the local court. The closest police station is in another remote community several hours away from her. Mary took time off work, bought a bus ticket and travelled to the police station. The matter didn’t go ahead because the Court list was too long and there wasn’t time to get to Mary’s matter. When she was told this, she was far from her home and from family support. This experience prolonged Mary’s trauma, leaving her unsafe and out of pocket.
Funding contracts don’t reflect the complexities or increased costs of delivering effective services to regional and remote communities. People in these areas lose out because funding models don’t accurately account for the true costs of service delivery.
Limited housing, childcare, and other services in regional and remote areas combine with chronic underfunding to drive a workforce crisis for community legal centres and other services in regional and remote areas. Staff shortages leave communities without the help they need, workers at risk of burnout and vicarious trauma, and services at risk of closure.
Our vision for justice — justice where we live
Governments invest in health, education, human services, and justice infrastructure in regional and remote communities.
People in regional and remote communities can access timely legal assistance and wraparound services that are responsive to community need. This includes in-person access.
Funding for community legal centres and other services in regional and remote communities is reliable, ongoing, and reflects the true costs of delivering services. This includes resourcing to support worker wellbeing and development.
Governments seek out, listen to, and implement the ideas of people living in regional and remote communities to address challenges in those communities. Governments provide flexible funding to support services to test and grow local solutions.
