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Homeless Persons Legal Service opens in Newtown

The NSW Attorney General, Mr Bob Debus, cut the red tape and marked the launch of the Newtown Homeless Persons Legal Service in early February reports Alex Serpo in the South Sydney Herald of March 2007.

Streamers and balloons filled Newtown Mission as up-town lawyers rubbed shoulders with the homeless while sharing the sense that the service would improve the community. The Centre is one of seven operating around Sydney that provide free legal advice to the homeless in order to help them overcome the abundance of legal issues they face.

Mr Debus commented on how useful the service can be saying, “One client has her wallet stolen and her pension was taken out

of her account even after she had asked the bank to cancel her cards. A lawyer helped her to prepare a statement for the police and also walked with her to the bank to make sure the money was advanced to help her get though to the next pension date.”

The launch was underpinned by a strong sense of optimism from all parties involved. Pastor Brian from the Newtown Mission commented that, “To be able to steer [the homeless] out of the trouble they are in is a privilege for me and for the volunteer lawyers.” Michael Gill from the firm DLA Phillips Fox, who provides

the lawyers, noted that “there is no shortage of volunteers.”

Behind this optimism was an acknowledgement of the suffering of the homeless. Mr Debus stated, “I am afraid that it is inevitable that homeless people will suffer discrimination in the legal system.” This discrimination can be simply by fining homeless people for doing things that the housed do in the safety and privacy of their own homes. These small fines can be a significant issue.

Mr Debus stated that for the homeless, “misdemeanours both large and small are fled in vast data bases held by both the government and private operations, just waiting for a reason to be reactivated.” When these fines begin to accumulate they can prevent the homeless from gaining accommodation. Mr Debus said that the Homeless Persons Legal Service was an “attempt to break that cycle.”

The centre is funded by the Public Purpose fund, money which comes from the interest that is generated on money placed in trust by large corporate law firms. Mr Debus also commented on the philanthropic nature of the legal profession, noting that few other professionals performed pro bono work: “I feel great pride that the legal profession has a very strong sense of obligation to help people who are in a bit of trouble.”

Source: South Sydney Herald March 2007