Access to civil justice needs urgent attention in New Zealand following the findings of the Legal Needs Survey released today, says Community Law Centres Aotearoa (CLCA)

“The needs of people with civil legal issues are often over-looked but the survey finding that one-third of the population experiences these issues and that 10% of the people have 75% of the civil legal problems is a wake-up call to policy-makers,” says CLCA CEO, Sue Moroney. “More must be done to provide access to justice to prevent the ongoing social harm caused by injustice.

“These findings are consistent with larger, better-resourced research in other countries and also consistent with Community Law’s experiences.”

The Community Law network provided just under 47,000 people across Aotearoa with free legal support in the 2023/24 financial year, with its focus on serving those who cannot afford to pay a private lawyer.

“The survey findings that people with disabilities, LGBT+ people, Maori and those who face financial constraints carry the heaviest burden fits the picture faced on a daily basis by Community Law,” says Sue.

“Our primary focus is on those on the lowest incomes and people in other vulnerable situations. We have recently bolstered funding for our specialist disability community law centre and are currently piloting kaupapa Maori legal services at Community Law Centres throughout Aotearoa. We pride ourselves on being accessible to all with our aim to be inclusive in the services we provide.”

There is one main area where the Community Law experience differs significantly from the survey’s findings.

“Family and Employment law are the largest areas of demand for our services each year but this was not reflected in the survey result at 4% and 5% respectively. However the survey assessed need across all income levels and it is important for policy-makers to note that the survey found both of these areas of law had high impacts (67% and 58% respectively) for those who experienced them.”

“Policy-makers should also be aware of the limitations of the survey’s reliance on mobile phones as the source of interviews and that no-one under the age of 18 had their legal needs assessed. We know through the work of our YouthLaw community law centre, that young people experience specific and high-impact legal needs that cause long-term harm if not addressed.”

“We look forward to working with others to increase access to civil justice across Aotearoa and the data that informs this important work”

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