A collage of images represents some of Legal Aid's priority groups and depicts a young mother with her son and her mother, a woman wearing a hijab, a young girl, a young indigenous man, a young man with Downs Syndrome, and an older indigenous couple
A new funding model will help Legal Aid to continue providing access to justice for everyone.
Legal assistance sector secures $55 million in annual funding

A working group including staff from Legal Aid NSW recommended the new funding model to improve financial sustainability of the Public Purpose Fund (PPF). Read more
Rob Hoyles appointed Director Criminal Law
Mr Hoyles was appointed in December and has been acting in the role since October 2021.
 
Legal Aid NSW Acting CEO Monique Hitter said Mr Hoyles has been a very important contributor to the Legal Aid NSW Executive and has a strong vision for the future of the criminal law program.

“Rob is a passionate and skilled practitioner, with a natural aptitude for leadership. He brings a wealth of criminal law knowledge and experience to the position,” Ms Hitter said.

Mr Hoyles joined Legal Aid NSW in 2010 when he left private practice and joined the Dubbo office. Since then he has worked in several Legal Aid NSW regional offices and held senior positions, including Deputy Director Criminal Law, Regional Program Coordinator and Solicitor in Charge of a Central Sydney Indictable team.

In 2014, Mr Hoyles established the Port Macquarie office as the inaugural Solicitor in Charge at a time when the unmet legal need of that community was high. He has supported Legal Aid NSW through multiple criminal justice reforms, including leading the Early Appropriate Guilty Plea (EAGP) Project Implementation team. Rob has also played a key part in the organisation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Hoyles was appointed in December and has been acting in the role since October 2021.
Former Legal Aid NSW lawyer Emma Manea appointed to the bench
Ms Manea took up her position as a magistrate of the Local Court on 1 February. Read more
NSW Government commits to criminalise coercive control
Coercive control in current and former intimate partner relationships will be outlawed as part of the NSW Government’s response to recommendations from the Joint Select Committee on Coercive Control. Read more
Legal Aid NSW annual report published
Our 2020-2021 annual report is now available to read on our website.  Read more
Mary Gleeson awarded Law Society of NSW President’s Medal
Ms Gleeson, a children’s court registrar and former Legal Aid NSW solicitor, was awarded the 2021 medal in recognition of 28 years’ service to some of the state’s most vulnerable families.  Read more
Special leave denied in landmark immigration case
At a special leave hearing on 10 December 2021, the High Court refused to grant the Minister's special leave application to appeal Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs v CBW20 [2021] FCAFC 63.  Read more
Panel lawyer news
Family dispute resolution mediations now administered as early resolution assistance
From 10 January 2022, early resolution assistance (ERA) is available for early intervention mediation in parenting, property, spousal maintenance, and adult child maintenance matters. Read more
Change to merit test for Commonwealth family law matters
Merit Test A is now applied to all applications for legal aid for matters that attract a merit test.  Read more
How to find your law practice panel membership
As panel membership is attached to your law practice and no longer to an individual, your Grants Online administrator can view your law practice panel membership under the ‘Update Office’ function in Grants Online.  Read more
Community legal education and resources
New COVID-19 factsheets available
Factsheets on a range of issues related to COVID-19, including new and updated family law fact sheets, are now available on the publications website.  Read more
New publications available to order in 2022
Our 2022 Legal Topics for Older People Diary is sold out – but the associated calendar, our new Discrimination Toolkit, and translated resources for culturally and linguistically diverse communities are all available to order. Read more
Sign up to receive the Civil Law Service for Aboriginal Communities (CLSAC) newsletter
The CLSAC team’s newsletter provides updates about their work in Aboriginal communities and the issues they assist with, their team and services available to Aboriginal clients. You can sign up to receive future editions by emailing the CLSAC team.  Read more
Courses, conferences and events
Fourth Independent Children’s Lawyers Conference
Save the date to attend on Friday 12 August 2022. Read more
2022 NSW Child Protection Legal Conference
My Life, My Culture – Our Future is the theme of this year’s NSW Child Protection Legal Conference, which will be held on 26 and 27 May 2022 at the ICC Sydney.  Read more