Ministry of Justice | Engage Aotearoa

Sixth Months More Funding For Community Law Centres

Nicola Owen from Auckland Disability Law writes ….

Dear Supporters

The Ministry of Justice has told us that funding for all Community Law Centres including Auckland Disability Law will now continue until December 2013.

Community Law Centre contracts had been due to expire on 30 June 2013.

We are obviously pleased to be able to tell you that we are now able to keep providing free legal services to disabled people in the Auckland region for an extra six months.

However, we know you will be concerned that this is only a short term solution.

Before Christmas we wrote to Justice Minister Judith Collins to thank her for her commitment to Auckland Disability Law and to acknowledge our shared aspiration that our services could be extended nationally.

The Minister wrote back to advise us that her officials will keep working on plans for the long term future of Community Law Centres. We hope to hear more about that when we meet with the Ministry and all the other Community Law Centres in Wellington in early April.

In the meantime, we urge you to continue to support your local Community Law Centre, and to stay in touch for updates. Your lobbying last year certainly made a difference. It is essential that we continue to remind our funders of the need for specialist direct community legal services for disabled people, and that these services should be available across New Zealand.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Nga Mihi,

Nicola

Nicola Owen
Development Manager
Auckland Disability Law
Phone 09 257 5140
Fax 09 275 4693
Mobile 0274575140
email info@adl.org.nz
www.aucklanddisabilitylaw.org.nz

Ministry of Justice Proposes Cutting Disability Law Services

Help Save Disability Law

The Ministry of Justice is proposing to withdraw funding for direct specialist legal services for the disability community from June 2013.

This will mean that there will no longer be a community law centre specialising in the complex legal needs of disabled people. There will be no Auckland Disability Law.

Auckland Disability Law is calling for the Ministry of Justice to rethink this proposal.

At Engage Aotearoa, we think there should be specialist disability law services available to disabled people throughout New Zealand, including Auckland Disability Law. We frequently refer people to this service.

Your Help is Needed!

Key Things You Can Do:

Sign the Open Letter to Judith Collins, the Minister of Justice as an individual or on behalf of your organisation (attached (right click the link to save the document) and available on Auckland Disability Law’s Facebook page or by email from info@adl.org.nz). Email to sign the letter and send your organisation’s logo.

Come to the “Save Disability Law” Community Hui

Send a message to the government that we are serious about saving disability law through the continued funding of Auckland Disability Law and extending specialist legal services nationally for disabled people.

When: Monday 30^th July 2012, 1pm till 3pm
Where: Western Springs Garden Community Hall, 956 Great North Road
Invited speakers: Mojo Mathers, Sue Bradford, Clive Lansink

Other Things That You Can Do to Help

Write your own letter to Justice Minister Judith Collins

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/judith-collins

Write to the newspapers, or put out your own press release

Contact Auckland Disability Law for further information

Follow Auckland Disability Law on Facebook

Search and click the ‘like’ button on the Auckland Disability Law Facebook page

Further Information

If you require any further information or you are able to help the campaign in any way, please contact, Auckland Disability Law:

Nicola Owen, Development Manager, Auckland Disability Law

Phone 09 257 5140
Fax 09 275 4693
Mobile 0274575140
email info@adl.org.nz
www.aucklanddisabilitylaw.org.nz

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