Australian Legal Aid Office

Full description

Establishment

The Australian Legal Aid Office, State Office, Victoria was established under the responsibility of the Commonwealth Attorney General in September 1973. The National Archives of Australia registered the Australian Legal Aid Office, State Office, Victoria as Commonwealth Agency CA1851. It succeeded a previous agency, CA943 Legal Aid Bureau, which from 1947 was the Legal Aid Bureau, Melbourne.

Function

Originally, the function of the Legal Aid Bureau was to furnish legal advice to servicemen, ex-servicemen and their dependents. This function was inherited by the Australian Legal Aid Office and extended to provide legal advice and assistance, on matters of Federal law to everyone in need. The Office provided assistance on matters of Federal and State law to persons whom the Commonwealth Government had special responsibility, for example: pensioners, Aborigines, ex-servicemen and newcomers to Australia. National Archives of Australia, Agency Note: CA1851 Australian Legal Aid Office, State Office, Victoria

The Office was also given responsibility for administering the sections of the Trade Practices Act 1974, Family Law Act 1974, Racial Discrimination Act 1975 and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975. The Office also became responsible for assistance under the Environment Aid program and for the granting of legal aid for Australian nationals in overseas court proceedings.

The main office of the Australian Legal Aid Office was in the city of Melbourne with branch offices established in 1974 at Geelong, Brunswick and Sunshine and in 1975 at Glenroy.

Abolition

The Australian Legal Aid Office with VA 2282 Office of the Public Solicitor and VA 878 Legal Aid Committee were amalgamated to form VA 877 Legal Aid Commission of Victoria on 1 September 1981. From 1975, the Commonwealth had moved toward the establishment of legal aid commissions in all states and territories. In Victoria, the Legal Aid Commission was established by the Legal Aid Commission Act 1978 (No.9245). The Commission was to provide all legal aid, under both Commonwealth and State law, and to administer a fund created for the purpose with contributions from both State and Commonwealth Governments.

Location of Records

For records relating to legal aid services see also List of Holdings, 2nd edition, 1985, 3.4.6.