During its third year of administration by PILCH, the Victorian Bar Legal Assistance Scheme (the Scheme) continued to develop and improve access to pro bono legal services from barristers.
Over the past three years, demand for the Scheme's resources has grown. In the year to 30 June 2002, the Bar Scheme received 219 inquiries resulting in 49 referrals. This brings the total number of inquiries received by the Scheme since its inception to 366, resulting in 99 referrals.
Matters referred to barristers cover diverse areas of law including family, crime, migration, contract, trusts, tort, personal injury, TAC, employment, debt recovery, tenancy and discrimination. Although in the past three years the number of referrals made under the Scheme remained steady, there has been a notable increase in demand for the service with twentyfive per cent more inquiries, all of which require screening, assessment and, where appropriate, redirection, to ensure that wherever possible clients receive the assistance they require.
The Scheme and the provision of pro bono legal services by barristers are essential to improving the access to the legal system for members of the public and are integral to the operation of all the other pro bono and legal assistance schemes currently existing in Victoria. PILCH is grateful to the Victorian Bar Council and the members of the Bar generally for their ongoing commitment to the Scheme.