Conference: Indigenous Legal Services in Crisis?

Indigenous Legal Volunteers

Current issues in legal services for Indigenous Australians Wednesday 16 June and Thursday 17 June 2004 Sydney.

Are Indigenous legal services in crisis? Is there a more general crisis across the range of organisations and individuals providing services around legal business? Regardless of the ATSILS tendering process, there are issues on the boil right across the country.

The future may be a very different place. The Indigenous Law Centre is hosting a conference that will reveal information, encourage debate and foster networks. We apologise for the short notice but extend a warm invitation to join us here in June.

With this two-day conference we aim to:
consider issues affecting service delivery right now; explore pressing legal issues; share knowledge and innovation; discuss possible futures for service delivery; affect public policy in these areas; and celebrate the work of Indigenous legal services and their partners.

The conference program will include sessions that cover:
hot spots in the law: family, criminal and civil
accessibility and cultural sensitivity: in whose eyes?
innovation in service delivery
getting in early: breaking cycles
to tender or too tender: the future for specialist Indigenous legal services
recommendations from the Royal Commission: a[nother] reckoning
resolving disputes and conflict: methods and madness
services from other sources: roles, relationships, communication
governance, management, accountability
resources: cold hard cash, pro bono, services in-kind
understanding and measuring legal needs

The conference will be of interest to:
lawyers, paralegal staff, field officers, administrators, educators, board members, counsellors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal, Services, Indigenous Women's Legal Services, Family Violence Protection Legal Units, Community Legal Centres, Legal Aid Commissions, Native Title Representative Bodies, public lawyers, policy makers, police services, courts, public prosecutors and defenders, councillors and staff of ATSIC Regional Councils, private legal practitioners, researchers and students, staff of other organisations providing services to, Indigenous Australians, advocacy and rights organisations.

More information:
program: A detailed program will be made available shortly. Your ideas about topics and speakers are very welcome. We can arrange places to meet for groups with shared interests. Please direct any suggestions or inquiries to the Indigenous Law Centre at ilc@unsw.edu.au or call 02 9385 2252.

Venue: The venue is the Mathews Theatres at the Kensington campus of the University of New South Wales. The campus is easily accessible from the city, eastern suburbs and airport. Enter through Gate 9 on High Street or through the Anzac Gate on Anzac Parade and follow the University Walk to Upper Campus. Maps are available at Indigenous Law Centre Faculty of Law University of New South Wales Sydney 2052 Australia phone 02 9385 2252 fax 02 9385 1266 email ilc@unsw.edu.au

Indigenous Law Centre Faculty of Law UNSW
Terry Hicks (David's father), Maha Habib (Mamdouh's wife) and Stephen Hopper (Habib's solicitor) will hold a Press Conference at 2pm, Saturday 29 May, at Breakout, 65 Bellevue St, Glebe. They will be speaking at the Justice for Hicks and Habib public forum to be held at 6pm tomorrow, Saturday 29 May, at the Granville Youth and Community Recreation Centre, 3A Memorial Drive, Granville.

Press Release *** Press Release *** Press Release Friday 28 May 2004.

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