NSW Government Bulletin - 9 October 2013

The issue of access to justice is a key theme of this fortnight's Government Bulletin. The Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales has recently released various publications highlighting the difficulties that the disadvantaged, people with illness and disability face in obtaining access to justice. Access is considered at multiple levels, including recognising the challenges for government agencies in dealing with self-represented litigants. At the Commonwealth level, the Productivity Commissioner has announced a public inquiry into Australia's system of civil dispute resolution, with a focus on promoting access to justice and equality before the law. Against this background, the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration (AIJA) has issued a call for papers for its April 2014 conference "Assisting Unrepresented Litigants – A Challenge for Courts and Tribunals". The issues identified by the AIJA will be of particular relevance to government agencies.