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Location : Wasted Space Job/hobbies : Cayman Islands Actuary
| Subject: Great: OZschwitz environment cases won't get Legal Aid Mon Jul 01, 2013 1:07 am | |
| Major environmental cases in NSW will no longer qualify for Legal Aid funding following cuts to the service by the O'Farrell government.
As of July 1, Legal Aid support won't be available for environmental cases that are found to be in the public interest, including major forestry, mining or pollution breaches.
Jeff Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence Office NSW, said a pillar of environmental justice was being torn down after 27 years.
"There is little point in opening the doors to the courts if people cannot afford to come in," he said. Advertisement
Legal Aid was used to save vital forests in the early 1990s by enabling a number of legal cases that tested forestry practices and environmental impact assessments.
More recently, Mr Smith said it had helped to achieve better environmental outcomes for coal-affected communities.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/environment-cases-wont-get-legal-aid-20130630-2p593.html#ixzz2XldtXDp4
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