The Wire

Access to justice is again making headlines…with Queensland Law Society findings that more lawyers are giving free legal advice. The result, legal experts believe, of a gender bias which deprives women of access to justice. An issue affecting women nationwide, Queensland University of Technology Access to Justice Lecturer Donna Cooper talks about the barriers Australian women face in accessing legal aid. Many women are faced with no alternative other than self representation, as Professor Andrew Mowbray explains. Finally, Director of Caxton Legal Centre Scott McDougall talks about the increasing importance of community legal centres.