As a CLC, with a human rights focus, we have been ready to take up an opportunity that allows our organisation to address gaps in legal inequalities felt by underserved communities including the LGBTIQA+ community.
Community Legal Centres have an incredible opportunity to assist all our clients who put enormous belief and trust in our services. For this reason, our sector remains determined and passionate to go above and beyond to get the best possible outcome for our clients.
Advocacy for clients who work in the sex industry is a longstanding and ongoing issue. Community legal centres have joined a long list of groups who support the decriminalisation of sex work.
Through the course of our work in the family violence and migration space we have seen how difficult it is for victim-survivors on temporary partner visas to provide the mountains of evidence required to prove their experiences of family violence.
Sexual violence is a widespread and gendered issue that has devastating and long-term impacts on those who experience it. Yet many victim-survivors do not report sexual violence because they fear that they will not be believed or do not want to go through the criminal process.
Our Advocacy against Sexual Harassment (AASH) Program, provides free, confidential legal assistance Victoria-wide to low-income workers experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage.
On IDAHOBIT day, SMLS called on the Victorian Government to implement stronger laws and move faster on anti-vilification laws to protect LGBTQIA+ community against attacks and threats of violence.
A research study conducted in 2015 into the 1980 Hague Convention found that 73% of taking persons in Hague Convention cases were mothers. This represented an increase from previous statistics recorded in 1999 (69%), 2003 (68%), and 2008 (69%).
South-East Monash Legal Service (SMLS) and Northern Community Legal Centre (NCLC) are excited to announce the launch of the Safe Landing Program, supported by a Federal Government National Legal Assistance Partnership grant.
SMLS continues to educate and empower communities through impactful community engagement programs rooted in increasing awareness of law, legal processes and navigating the legal system