Lawyers lacking in the bush

THE Law Council of Australia has launched a plan to attract more lawyers to rural, regional and remote Australia.

President Jacoba Brasch QC said almost 30 per cent of people lived outside major cities, but only about 10 per cent of solicitors practised in rural areas.

“Access to justice is an inalienable right for all Australians, yet availability of legal services varies across the country,” he said.

“Where someone lives, our postcode, may impact on a person’s ability to access justice.

“Shortages of lawyers in (rural) areas have resulted in residents being denied legal representation at critical moments in their lives.”

The Digital Treechange program allowed lawyers to “trial” rural practice from the comfort of their own homes before they made the leap and relocated to the regions.

“Aside from an on-location visit during the trial, the candidate works remotely during their probation,” he said.

Addressing the lack of law professionals in the regions is a key focus for the Law Council and last year it released the Rural, Regional and Remote Lawyers and Communities National Strategic Plan.