The media can’t get enough of the blood-and-guts in the streets–give me a little crime, a little violence…all over it. Not that we shouldn’t care about crime but compare the impact of the hysteria and sensationalism to the real crisis: the fact that half a million people do not have access to legal help when they need it.
Honestly, this info coming out of the newly launched campaign by Community Law Australia is infinitely more shocking than any single crime:
- The Australia Institute has conservatively estimated that 490,000 Australians each year miss out on legal help for financial reasons or lack of knowledge.
- Over 80% of the people helped by community legal centres earn under $26,000 a year.
- The Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department has noted that “98 per cent of legal aid recipients [receive] an income that could be considered below the poverty line. This leaves much of Australia unable to afford legal representation but nevertheless ineligible for legal aid”.
Worth adding this badge to your site–you’ll be thankful the next time you need a lawyer.