InBrief

A video message from the star of Rake, Richard Roxburgh, rounded off this morning's very successful local launch for the Legal Aid Matters campaign. Jointly organised by the Bar Association and the Law Society, the full house heard excellent presentations by David Neal SC and special guest Steve Hynes from the the Legal Action Group in the UK.

David Neal SC used the analogy of Medicare. Would Australians tolerate a healthcare system that covered only 8% of Australians? Neal SC made the even more shocking observation that only 43% of people living below the poverty line can qualify for legal aid and that the Australian Government spends twice the amount of money on its own legal services than it does on legal aid for its citizens.

Steve Hynes spoke about recent campaigns to halt the austerity-driven cuts to the UK's more comprehensive and properly funded legal aid system. Equality before the law is a fundamental principle of the common law system, but it's only possible with comprehensive legal aid.

Pauline Wright, senior vice-president of the Law Society and chair of its Criminal Law Committee summed up the morning's presentations when she said: "Legal aid: it's economic sense, moral sense and common sense".

Visit the campaign website: www.legalaidmatters.org.au Sign the petition and write to your local MP.

You can view Richard Roxburgh’s video message in support of the campaign here.

Please promote it far and wide with #LegalAidMatters