Community Development Projects

Access to Justice

Fitzroy Legal Service advocates for access to justice for marginalized and disadvantaged people. Since 1975 the Fitzroy Legal Service has provided the local community with free legal advice and representation and education. The Fitzroy Legal Service in partnership with community organisations continues to develop innovative ways of providing access to justice through its many community legal education projects and programs.

Fitzroy Legal Service is engaged in a number of activities that include community legal education, linking people to legal services and resourcing people and community groups to engage in advocacy.

Work includes:

Legal education with CALD communities including NMIT (Collingwood and Preston), AMES, Monash University

In partnership with the Islamic Women’s Welfare Council and Broadmeadows Community Legal Centre, Fitzroy Legal Service will be running legal education sessions to Muslim women.

Fitzroy Legal Service sits on the advisory committee of RISE (refugees, new arrivals and detainees).

Fitzroy Legal Service is a partner of the Northern CLC network to advocate on issues of access of justice for the northern region of Victoria.  Partners include: Broadmeadows CLC, Darebin CLC, West Heidelberg CLC, Whittlesea CLS, Moreland CLC, Broadmeadows VLA and Preston VLA.

We sit on the advisory committee of the Multicultural Women’s Health Bi-lingual credit provider education program.

Together with Footscray CLC, Springvale Monash CLC and Victoria Legal Aid, we have engaged in work on the Do Not Knock campaign targeted at the Vietnamese community.

Criminal records

A criminal record can have detrimental effects on the potential of a person’s life. The Fitzroy Legal Service supports people with criminal records by advocating for removal of social and legal discrimination associated with having a criminal record.

The Fitzroy Legal Service believes when a person has ‘done the time’ that a criminal record should not continue to punish and limit the hopes and ambitions of a person. Fitzroy Legal Service campaigns in areas of legal and social policy issues to remove the stigma attached to a criminal record and to encourage positive reintegration into the community.

The Fitzroy Legal Service offers legal assistance to people with a criminal record and who are experiencing discrimination, it advocates for legal and policy reforms for a balanced approach to the availability of criminal record information. The Fitzroy Legal Service also provides community legal education and information to organisations and workers.

Our partners in this work have included: Federation of Community Legal Centres, Human Rights Law Resource Centre, Homeless Persons Legal Clinic, Flemington/Kensington Community Legal Centre, JobWatch, Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre, Council of Churches, Mental Health Regal Centre and Youthlaw amongst others.

Click here to review our submissions

Policing

A transparent and accountable police force is instrumental for maintaining a fair society that respects civil liberties. The Fitzroy Legal Service has a long history of advocacy for police accountability and carries out public interest casework, law reform submissions, community development and community legal education on police accountability. 

Fitzroy Legal Service currently convenes the Police Issues Working Group of the Federation of Community Legal Centres etc

Our partners in this work have included: Federation of Community Legal Centres, Human Rights Law Resource Centre, Homeless Persons Legal Clinic, Flemington/Kensington Community Legal Centre, Mental Health Regal Centre; Youthlaw, RISE, Harm Reduction Victoria amongst others.

Click here to review our submissions

Work in the Alcohol and Drug Sector

Fitzroy Legal Service acknowledges criminalization processes contribute to discriminatory and harmful outcomes for affected communities.

Key advocacy strategies include:

• promoting self-determination of affected communities,
• promoting respect for the human rights of drug users
• supporting public health approaches over punitive interventions

Fitzroy Legal Service provides outreach casework services, community legal education, law reform advocacy and professional development to AOD sector workers. Fitzroy Legal Service strives to address the links between health, poverty, discrimination and the law.

Work engaged in:

• The Drug Outreach Lawyer provides in situ legal support to affected communities
• Innerspace Primary Health Service
• Living Room Primary Health Service
• Billabong Breakfast
• North Richmond Drug Safety Program
• Youth substance abuse Day Program
• De Paul House Residential Detox

Duty Lawyers based at the NJC engage supports within a therapeutic jurisprudence context.

Neighbourhood Justice Centre

Service Directory for drug and alcohol workers and users

Partners: Fitzroy Legal Service is a member of the Executive Committee of the Yarra Drug & Health Forum and sits on the Management Committees of Harm Reduction Victoria & Buoyancy.

Fitzroy Legal Service, Western Suburbs Legal Service and the Springvale Monash Legal Servcie co-produced the report titled:

"Boys, you wanna give me some action?"

Interventions into Policing of Racialised Communities in Melbourne

Authors: Bec Smith and Shane Reside

The report examines African young people's experiences of policing practices across three regions of Melbourne: City of Greater Dandenong, Flemington and Braybrook. The report particularly examines African young people's experience of 'community policing' activities in these areas.

Click here to download a copy