In light of recent family violence tragedies, a decision to cut funding for crucial support is “short-sighted”, former royal commission judge Marcia Neave told Lawyers Weekly.
Almost 20 volunteers with the Court Network will no longer have the resources to assist domestic violence victims in the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court after $130,000 was cut from Victorian Legal Aid and assistance rejected by the federal government.
Established in 1980, and placed in family courts in 1990, Court Network provided free, non-legal support. Prior to being cut in Queensland last year, the network helped more than 205,000 court users. Across 37 locations in Victoria and Queensland, volunteers contributed collectively at least 129,600 hours, equivalent of 65 full-time positions.
Source: ‘I would have died without that support’: Victoria cuts vital court funding – Lawyers Weekly