About us 2017–18 annual report
Our purpose, vision and values
Our purpose
To provide quality, cost effective legal services to financially disadvantaged people throughout Queensland.
Our vision
To be a leader in a fair justice system where people are able to understand and protect their legal rights.
Our values
Social justice
We seek to protect people’s rights, promote fair treatment and help those at risk of social exclusion.
Respect
We respect the people we assist and those with whom we work and their safety.
Quality
We continue to improve the quality of our work and the outcomes for our clients.
Cost effectiveness
We deliver innovative, sustainable and cost effective services.
Accountability
We are accountable for our actions and decisions.
Who we are and what we do
Legal Aid Queensland provides legal help to financially disadvantaged Queenslanders. We are an independent statutory authority that operates under the Legal Aid Queensland Act 1997.
We receive state government funding to provide legal services for state law matters, and federal government funding to provide the legal services designated in the National Partnership Agreement on Legal Assistance Services.
Our services include community legal education (CLE), information and referral, legal advice and legal task services, duty lawyer services, lawyer assisted dispute resolution and representation services. Our services are provided across a range of areas of law including crime, family, child protection, child support, domestic and family violence, social security, consumer protection, employment and anti-discrimination.
Our work contributes to the Queensland Government’s objectives of delivering quality frontline services and building safe, caring and connected communities. We deliver vital legal services to financially disadvantaged people who cannot afford to engage a lawyer. Our programs help to break the cycle of disadvantage for Queenslanders.
Our head office is in Brisbane. To meet the needs of Queenslanders living in rural and regional areas, we implement a range of strategies, including a statewide client contact centre and offering our services from 13 regional offices: Southport, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Woodridge, Inala, Caboolture, Maroochydore, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Mackay, Mount Isa, Townsville and Cairns. Our regional office staff work with a network of community access points that act as information outposts and referral points in communities. We also coordinate the Queensland Legal Assistance Forum and Regional Legal Assistance Forums.
We provide free CLE, legal information, legal advice and legal task services, and duty lawyer services.
We provide duty lawyer, representation and dispute resolution services through a mixed service delivery model involving our in-house legal practice and preferred supplier law firms around the state to maximise legal services available to disadvantaged Queenslanders. Staff assess individual legal aid applications against the Legal Aid Queensland funding guidelines and by applying means and merits tests, and manage the funding arrangements for cases where aid is approved.
We also respond to requests from the state and federal governments for submissions on legislative reforms and other matters.
Last updated 2 October 2018