The Justice Project: Final Report
Our summary
Undertaken by the Law Council of Australia, the Justice Project Final Report presents an extensive review of access to justice in Australia for people experiencing significant disadvantage.
Drawing on more than 150 consultations and 129 submissions, the review focused on 13 priority groups—including people with disability; those experiencing economic disadvantage; LGBTI+ people; people who have experienced family violence; asylum seekers; Indigenous Australians; and others.
Key findings revealed pervasive structural obstacles: under-resourced legal assistance services, rural and regional gaps in provision, complex system navigation, and the compounding effects of disadvantage on justice outcomes. The report emphasises that these issues have broader social, health and economic consequences, highlighting the inter-connected nature of justice with housing, wellbeing, employment and community participation.
Among the 59 recommendations are frameworks for:
⦁ A whole-of-government “Access to Justice” strategy.
⦁ 'Justice Impact Tests' to assess how new laws and policies affect justice access.
⦁ Sustained, evidence-based funding for legal assistance and associated support services.
⦁ Multi-disciplinary service models to tackle non-legal issues that entangle with legal problems (such as housing, health or family violence).
For community work professionals, this report serves multiple uses, including:
⦁ Offers a robust evidence base for advocating systemic reform and heightened funding.
⦁ Provides a lens through which program design can integrate legal justice access considerations—especially for clients whose lives intersect with multiple disadvantage.
⦁ Encourages holistic thinking: embedding legal-awareness initiatives, early intervention, and cross-sector collaboration in community work practices.