Victoria Access to Justice Review 2016

This is a series of reports and 60 recommendations resulting from a comprehensive review of the state of access to justice in the state of Victoria, Australia. asked the Department of Justice and Regulation to undertake the Access to Justice Review. The review, released on Tuesday 4 October 2016, contains 60 recommendations.

The aim of the Review was to identify ways to improve access to justice for Victorians with an everyday legal problem and ensure that the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in our community, including Victorians from Aboriginal backgrounds, receive the support they need when engaging with the law and the justice system.

Many broad topics were canvassed during the review. One chapter of the review reports focuses on "Accessible information about legal issues and services". Some of the recommendations relevant to public legal education and information providers are:

  • different legal information materials on the same topics are needed to meet the needs of different community members
  • efficiencies should be explored to avoid duplication of work where possible
  • triage and multiple entry and access points are needed to ensure that disadvantaged people get the help they need, when they need it
  • courts and tribunals should consider ways to make their websites and legal information materials clearer and more accessible