Policies
15. Grants to Community Legal Centres
15.5. Exceptions to policy that no legal practitioner fees will be paid
Legal practitioner's fees may be paid at the normal legal aid rates to a CLC listed in the Schedule but which is not included in the list of CLCs set out at section 15.4, if:
- the CLC has entered into a special arrangement with Legal Aid NSW, or
- the Chief Executive Officer of Legal Aid NSW is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances.
The Chief Executive Officer may be satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances if either:
- the legal aid applicant has had a longstanding relationship wit the CLC, or
- the case involves special considerations relating to the community that is serviced by the CLC.
15.5.1 Special arrangements between CLC and Legal Aid NSW
An exception to the policy in relation to paying legal practitioner's fees will exist if Legal Aid NSW and a CLC have entered into a special arrangement.
There is a special arrangement between Legal Aid NSW and the CLC if an agreement has been reached for the CLC:
- to provide a particular legal aid service, eg a children's legal service or a prisoners' legal service, or
- to conduct litigation in a particular area of law, in which the centre has some particular interest and/or expertise, eg anti- discrimination law.
15.5.2 What CLCs have special arrangements?
Special arrangements referred to in policy 15.5.1 have been arranged between Legal Aid NSW and Marrickville, Macquarie, Kingsford and Far West Community Legal Centre.
See policy 15.6 for the policy about the special arrangements with these CLCs.
Date Last Published: 20/12/2016