Funding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services: issues of equity and access

Abstract

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) play a crucial role in the representation of Indigenous defendants. Given the fraught relationship of Aboriginal people with the criminal justice system and the legal system in general, and the ever-deepening crisis of over-representation, adequate resourcing of these services is an extremely important administration of justice issue. This article looks at the nature of the demands and extent of the workload of ATSILS, especially in comparison to Legal Aid Commissions. It argues that the static funding environment that ATSILS operate in results in compromised capacity to provide adequate services to the sector of the population that arguably needs the best possible quality legal services.