3 minute read
From the Editor
Highlighting the amazing work of lawyers who serve the community
Advertisement
MICHAEL ESPOSITO, EDITOR
Popular media representations of lawyers seem to either fall into two camps. The generous portrayal of a swashbuckling champion of the underdog, or the self-involved mercenary who has no regard for fair play. In both cases, onscreen lawyers’ lives are often portrayed as glamorous.
The reality is a little different. Most lawyers are hard-working, diligent practitioners who are not living jet-setting lifestyles. And those who are fi erce advocates for the rights of the vulnerable are not doing it for the money!
In this edition, we want to highlight those lawyers who, day in day out, go in to bat for the vulnerable, the disenfranchised, the frightened. We speak to Natalia Kasprzyk from Community Justice Services SA and Alexandra Psarras from Women’s Legal Service (SA) about what it is like to work as a lawyer in a community legal centre, while Dharani Rana explains her role as a community lawyer focussing on homelessness with JusticeNet SA.
We also have a feature on Alice Tester and Will Gray, two private lawyers who give back to the community through extraordinary volunteer efforts.
Michelle Ford, managing lawyer at WestSide Lawyers, who writes about the National Regional, Rural, Remote and Very Remote Community Legal Network, which comprises about 40 legal service organisations across Australia and has a mission to enhance access to justice in areas that typically lack the infrastructure for people to readily access legal services.
Another fantastic initiative is Tiraapendi Wodli, the justice reinvestment hub in Port Adelaide which delivers community programs led by leaders in the Aboriginal community with the aim to reduce Indigenous youth incarceration rates. This is a really important service that needs extra funding to continue and build on its great work.
This is just a tiny sample of the members of the legal community who work tirelessly to help those who need it most. It was a privilege to hear these lawyers share their stories and give readers insight into the amazing work they do, and the impact their work has. B
The Supreme Court has provided an update on the process for allocating accessible courtrooms.
Where a person involved in a case being heard in the Supreme Court makes an accessibility request for a hearing, the Court will list the matter in an appropriate courtroom and source any equipment required for the hearing (where possible). The allocation of appropriate courtrooms is best managed where the request is made at least 24 hours in advance of the hearing.
Where an accessibility requirement is not known in advance of a hearing and chambers staff become aware of the requirement, efforts can be made relist the matter in an appropriate courtroom (if available).
Civil and probate
Parties to proceedings who have CourtSA access are able to request assistance for a hearing via the Hearings tab on CourtSA. The assistance options are: • Appearing by phone; • Appear by audio visual link; • An interpreter; or • Any other request.
When selected, the “Another request” option provides a free-text fi eld for the user to enter the assistance requested (i.e., hearing loop, wheelchair accessible courtroom, etc).
Information on how to make these requests is available at Hearings | CourtSA. (https://courtsa.courts.sa.gov. au/?q=node/492).
Alternatively, parties without CourtSA access, non-parties, or the public can contact the Supreme Court Registry to make a request.
Criminal
Requests for assistance in criminal hearings can be made via email (preferred) or telephone to the Supreme Court Registry.
It is anticipated that when CourtSA goes live in the criminal jurisdiction, accessibility requests will be able to be made via the portal in a similar manner to that described above for the civil jurisdiction.
REGISTRY CONTACT DETAILS
Supreme Court (Civil) CAAPMSupremeCourtCivil Registry@courts.sa.gov.au 8204 2444 Supreme Court (criminal) CAAPMHigherCourtClient ServicesCAA@courts.sa.gov.au 8204 2444 B
