Legal System and Services: Ongoing initiatives
Family Violence Prevention Legal Services and Early Intervention and Prevention Programme
The Australian Government has committed $18.7 million in 2007-08 to provide legal and associated services to rural and remote high need service areas. The Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS) and the Early Intervention and Prevention Programme (EIPP) will benefit Indigenous Australians who are victims, survivors or at risk of family violence or sexual abuse.
The Australian Government expanded this programme in 2004-05 allocating $22.7 million over four years and again in 2006-07 allocating a further $23.6 million over four years, taking it from the original 13 to 31 service providers in 2006-07.
Prevention, Diversion, Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice Initiatives Programme
The Australian Government is providing $6.1 million in 2007-2008 for the Prevention, Diversion, Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice Programme (PDRR). The funds will support organisations undertaking projects that will divert Indigenous Australians away from adverse contact with the legal system. The programme is also intended to facilitate projects that will rehabilitate and support Indigenous Australians who have been incarcerated or are in custody and seeks to fund projects that will also lessen the need for legal aid through early resolution of disputes, including through restorative justice practices, with greater involvement of agencies, the victims, offenders, and Indigenous communities.
Law and Justice Advocacy Development Programme
The Australian Government is providing $2.5 million in 2007-08 for the Law and Justice Advocacy Development Programme (LJAD). The programme seeks to support Indigenous Australians in developing policy and law reform projects and in delivering community legal education. The funds help ensure partnerships are developed between advocacy organisations and tertiary and research institutions, and government and non-government agencies to research, develop policy and encourage law reform.
National Community Crime Prevention Programme
The Australian Government has committed $64 million over four years, from 2004-05 to 2007-08, to the National Community Crime Prevention Programme (NCCPP). The centrepiece of the NCCPP is a national community grants scheme, and another specifically for the Greater Western Sydney Region, providing funding for local projects to enhance community safety and crime prevention by preventing or reducing crime and anti social behaviour, improving community safety and security, and reducing the fear of crime.
Indigenous Legal Aid
Indigenous Australians experience much higher rates of adverse contact with the justice system than other Australians. In recognition of this, the Australian Government has allocated $50.5 million to provide legal aid for Indigenous Australians in 2007-08, and a further $154.7 million has been allocated for the three year period from 2008-09 to 2010-11. The Legal Aid for Indigenous Australians Programme (LEGA) provides culturally sensitive and accessible legal aid and related services.
The LEGA Programme includes funding for casework to review laws and practices with a discriminatory effect; and for the recognition of social, cultural, economic, legal and political rights, and the resolution of inconsistencies and ambiguities in the application of existing laws, through the conduct of litigation.
Native Title
The Australian Government has committed $117.2 million for the native title system in 2007-08. $58.7 million of this funding has been allocated to assist native title claimants through the funding of a network of 17 Native Title Representative and Service Bodies (NTRBs). A component of this funding is used to assist in the capacity building for NTRBs.
The Native Title and Land Rights programmes aim to enhance the delivery of native title and land rights services to Indigenous people. The programmes fund the operation of bodies recognised under the Native Title Act 1993 to provide professional services to claimants and other stakeholders in the native title system, and Indigenous organisations established under Commonwealth land rights legislation.
Northern Territory Aboriginal Interpreter Service
The Australian Government has committed $4.6 million for four years from 2006-07 to 2009-2010 to fund the Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS) in the Northern Territory. Funding will be allocated by the Northern Territory Government for the purchase of interpreting services from the AIS. The Australian Government and the Northern Territory have jointly funded the AIS since September 2000.