Law Week: 16-22 May 2010
Law Week in other states and territories of Australia
Northern Territory | Queensland | South Australia | Victoria | Western Australia
Law Week is an annual event that aims to promote greater understanding within the community of the law, the legal system and the legal profession. The objectives of Law Week are:
• To stimulate public understanding of the law and its role in society
• To include people from diverse backgrounds, organisations and perspective in the planning and
implementation of programs and in the audiences Law Week activities serve.
• To form appropriate partnerships that will enable the development and implementation of public
education programs about the law.
• To provide legal service providers throughout NSW with an occasion to participate in leadership and
advocacy programs that educate the public about the Law by serving schools and communities
stakeholders in new south wales
Law Society of New South Wales
New South Wales Bar Association
New South Wales Attorney General's Department
Legal Aid Commission of NSW
New South Wales Police Force
New South Wales Department of Education Training
Legal Information Access Centre
Law Society of New South Wales
The Law Society of New South Wales is the largest professional association of lawyers in Australia. The Law Society of NSW (www.lawsociety.com.au) and its 29 regional law societies are committed to the development and implementation of public education programs to improve community understanding of the law and the justice system.
Law week programs provide regional law societies with an opportunity to run local community activities designed to raise awareness of legal issues, justice and the protection of individual rights of every citizen. It is a chance to demonstrate in a practical way the role of lawyers in the everyday life of the community, to build stronger relationships with the local media and community organisations and to underline the importance of a fair and just legal system.
New South Wales Bar Association
The New South Wales Bar Association is a voluntary association of practising barristers. Our aims include: promoting the administration of justice; making recommendations with respect to legislation & law reform; and seeking to ensure that the benefits of justice are available to all. For more information, visit our web site at www.nswbar.asn.au
Department of Justice and Attorney General
The Department of Justice and Attorney General of NSW administers the state's courts, tribunals and laws and assists the Government, Judiciary, Parliament and the community to promote social harmony through a range of programs that protect human rights and reduce crime. The Department is proud of its innovative justice programs and actively promotes access to legal services across NSW. We showcase a number of these initiatives during Law Week as part of our ongoing commitment to the community. Law Week activities provide the public with an opportunity to learn about these initiatives directly from staff and explore the Department's dynamic relationship with the law. The Department provides a number of services, including legal help, privacy protection, law reform, guardianship, mediation, support for victims of crime, jury duty, crime prevention and legislative review. For further information visit www.agd.nsw.gov.au
Legal aid Commission of New South Wales
Legal Aid NSW provides legal advice, representation in court and education about the law and legal services. Legal aid services are particularly directed toward people experiencing financial or social disadvantage. Legal Aid NSW works with private legal practitioners and other key justice system organisations such as LawAccess NSW, community legal centres, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services to deliver services to people throughout NSW. The Legal Aid Commission is proud to support Law Week 2010 as an important community legal education initiative aimed at raising community awareness and understanding of the law, the legal system and legal services in NSW.
New South Wales Police Force
The New South Wales Police Force's involvement in the Law Week activities is both a positive and beneficial program for members of the NSW Police Force and the community. Over the years the NSW Police Force have initiated many youth awareness and education programs in the areas of drugs, underage drinking, safe driving practices and street offences.The police work in conjunction with the other agencies to educate the community on the various facets of the law. Youth liaison officers across the state have attended schools during law week and delivered workshops to the students on various legal topics.
For several years the NSW police legal services branch have competed against the law society/bar association in a topical debate related to aspects of the legal system the debate always creates animated and lively discussion.
The overall participation of the NSW police in law week activities serves to promote and foster better relationships between the police, the other agencies participating in the law week activities, youth and the wider community.
The NSW Department of Education and Training
The department delivers high quality education and training services from early childhood education through to post-compulsory education and training. It meets the learning needs of children, young people and adults, and addresses training needs in industry.
The public education and training system in new south wales provides pre-school education, the compulsory years of schooling (from kindergarten to year 10), and senior secondary education leading to the award of the nsw higher school certificate (in years 11 and 12).
It also provides TAFE NSW courses, adult and community education courses, migrant english programs, post-secondary art courses and advice to the government on high education.
In addition, the department coordinates all public education and training services in new south wales and strongly promotes lifelong learning such as those offered in law week.
Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC)
LIAC provides up to date information about the law through its web site and through local public libraries in NSW. Find weblinks, plain language guides, texts, lawyers' tools, free advice agencies.
To learn more about LIAC, visit their web site: http://www.liac.sl.nsw.gov.au/
Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH)
The Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH NSW) bridges the justice gap by linking individuals and not for profit organisations with legal and other professional advisors to address issues of concern in the community. PILCH NSW offers its members opportunities to give to the community through a broad range of pro bono work. For more information, visit their site http://pilchnsw.org.au
