Women's Legal Services Australia

TEWLS, and our sister Women's Legal Services Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service and Central Australian Women's Legal Service, are deeply troubled by the transfer of female prisoners from Alice Springs to Darwin this week. We understand the need for Northern Territory prisons to be safe environments for staff and inmates, and that the capacity concerns need to be appropriately managed. However, yet again, it is women who are bearing the burden of a system in crisis. We know that many of the women impacted are victim-survivors of domestic, family and sexual violence. Whilst these women are serving sentences or are on remand, they still have a right to be connected to their children, their culture, their community, and their country: needs so basic and critical that they are recognised in multiple international human rights instruments. See full media release below -

Recent reforms to the Family Law Act have changed how the Court will make parenting orders. Women's Legal Service Queensland have developed a fact sheet to explain these changes and what they mean for your children. You can find the fact sheet here: https://lnkd.in/gyU8vgDT #FamilyLaw #Parenting

Recognising family violence as a factor in property disputes is an important step towards making the family law system fairer and safer. We know women often do not leave violent relationships because they are effectively forced to choose between violence or poverty and homelessness. Adequate funding for legal assistance services is also urgently needed to ensure people experiencing family violence or disadvantage can safely navigate the system. https://lnkd.in/gTfwnBcE #SafetyFirst #FamilyLaw

This morning we will be appearing at a public hearing for the senate inquiry into the Family Law Amendment Bill 2024. Chair of our Family Law and Family Violence Committee, Meaghan Bradshaw will say we support reforms to make family violence a key consideration in property disputes. We know women often do not leave violent relationships because they are effectively forced to choose between violence or poverty. These reforms should help to enhance women’s economic wellbeing post separation, and ensure the harm of family violence is recognised in property settlements. https://lnkd.in/gKUhrknK #SafetyFirst #FamilyLaw

The family violence provisions in the Migration Regulations 1994 have now been expanded to include a number of additional visa categories. These provisions provide victim-survivors of domestic and family violence with a secure pathway to leave an unsafe relationship, without the fear of losing their residency status. Women’s Legal Services provide legal assistance and non-legal support services for women on temporary visas who are experiencing violence. We have advocated for the family violence provisions to be expanded so that women are not forced to choose between residency or their safety.   Information on eligibility and how to apply is available on the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ website: https://lnkd.in/gXv9RZZD

Yesterday I officially opened the ACT Sexual Violence Legal Service. This service provides crucial legal assistance to support victims and survivors to safely engage and navigate the justice system, and it has already helped more than 100 people. We all have a role to play in tackling family, domestic and sexual violence. Those of us with a role in the justice system must do all that we can to ensure justice is accessible and does not add to the trauma. That is exactly what this service will provide. I commend the team at ACT’s Women’s Legal Centre and Victims Support for their ongoing advocacy and commitment to realising this service. Women's Legal Centre ACT & Region Elena Rosenman Katy Gallagher Alicia Payne

Yesterday we attended the launch of a new report by Prof Kay Cook and Terese Edwards highlighting the non-payment of child support as a gendered issue and the need for reforms to the child support system to prevent this form of economic abuse against women and children. We support the Fix Child Support campaign and join the call for urgent action to fix the child support system. Learn more about the campaign here: https://lnkd.in/gTVjBu5J #FixChildSupport Toni Wren Jess Hill Jennie Gray Claudia Fatone Yvette Cehtel Caitlin Weatherby-Fell

Ahead of today's Standing Council of Attorneys-General (SCAG) meeting we are calling for adequate and secure funding for specialist women’s legal services with a minimum investment of $140 million over the next 5 years. Women’s legal services in every state and territory need funding security to ensure they can keep their doors open and maintain current service levels, pay their staff a reasonable wage that matches their qualifications, and have the ability to expand services to meet the increasing needs of the community. With less than nine months of funding security left, women’s legal services need urgent advice on what funding is available to ensure they can keep these services open. https://lnkd.in/gj9XZxw9

Last week, the Australian parliament debated welcome changes to family law that intend to have safer and fairer outcomes for victim-survivors of family violence. The changes proposed in the Family Law Amendment Bill 2024 recognise the significant impact family violence has on the financial security of victim-survivors, particularly when dividing property and finances post-separation. Any reforms to the family law system must address how family violence impacts the economic well-being, health and housing of victim-survivors, and this is exacerbated post-separation and in recovery from family violence. The Bill has now been referred to a senate committee; we will continue to engage on the details of the bill through our peak Women's Legal Services Australia to ensure it reflects the needs of victim-survivors of family violence. Alongside changes in the law, the government must also commit to increased funding for women’s legal services, ensuring assistance for women and children in the family law system who are experiencing family violence.  

WLSA looks forward to working with Attorneys-General on the implementation of these important commitments.