Law reform submissions 2023

Legal Aid’s advocacy work doesn’t stop when we leave the court room. We work hard to identify how the legal system is working for our clients, and where it needs to be better. We meet with, and write to, government and parliament, to make sure they know about the issues that impact our clients. You can see our 2023 submissions below.

General

• Special inquiry into the experiences of children and young people in alternative care arrangements in NSW (PDF, 628 kb) – Legal Aid NSW submission to the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, November 2023
• Equity, accessibility and appropriate delivery of outpatient and community mental health care in NSW – Submission to Portfolio Committee No. 2 Health, Legislative Council of NSW, September 2023
• Inquiry into the worsening rental crisis in Australia – Submission to the Community Affairs Reference Committee's inquiry into the worsening rental crisis in Australia, August 2023
• Continuing professional development for legal practitioners on coercive control – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Attorney-General’s Department, July 2023
• Youth justice and child wellbeing reform across Australia – Legal Aid NSW submission to the National Children's Commissioner, June 2023
• Senate Inquiry into barriers to consistent, timely and best practice assessment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and support services for people with ADHD – Your Story Disability Legal Support and Legal Aid NSW submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs, June 2023
• Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework – National Legal Aid submission to Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. June 2023
• Inquiry into the nature and extent of poverty in Australia – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee, March 2023
• Development of a NSW Government Alcohol and Other Drug Strategy – Legal Aid NSW submission to KPMG, March 2023

Criminal law

• Review of firearm, knife and other weapon offences (PDF, 5.9 mb) – Legal Aid NSW submission to the NSW Sentencing Council, December 2023
• Inquiry into the Jury Amendment Bill 2023 – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Portfolio Committee No. 5 – Justice and Communities, December 2023
• Monitoring the Mandatory Disease Testing scheme – Legal Aid NSW submission to the NSW Ombudsman, November 2023
• NSW Forced Marriage Review – Legal Aid NSW submission to the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, November 2023
• Review of post-sentence terrorism orders under Division 105A of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) (PDF, 1.5 mb) – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, June 2023
• Current and proposed sexual consent laws in Australia – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee’s inquiry, May 2023

Civil law

• Proposed new entity to promote the wellbeing of Defence members and veterans (PDF, 474 kb) – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, December 2023
• Inquiry into Insurers’ Responses to Major Floods Claims – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Australian Parliament Standing Committee on Economics, December 2023
• Review of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) – Legal Aid NSW submission to NSWLRC, October 2023
• Improving NSW rental laws consultation paper – Legal Aid NSW submission in response to improving NSW rental laws, August 2023
• 'Employee-like' forms of work and stronger protections for independent contractors – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, May 2023
• Updating the Fair Work Act 2009 to provide stronger protections for workers against discrimination – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, May 2023
• Veterans’ Legislation Reform Consultation Pathway – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, May 2023
• The NDIS Review: Building a Strong, Effective NDIS – Legal Aid NSW submission to the Independent Review of the NDIS, January 2023

Family law

No submissions.