ALS NSW/ACT seeks emergency funds amid state law service freezes

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) around Australia are calling on the federal government to deliver a $250million emergency support package by May 15 to prevent imminent service freezes and unjust incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The news comes after ATSILS Queensland was forced to implement temporary suspensions recently, and ALS NSW/ACT CEO Karly Warner has said freezes could risk disastrous outcomes - including increased family violence and child removal, unjust incarceration and deaths in custody.

"Services are being forced into difficult decisions as to where they can stem the bleeding for the team members in terms of the workload crisis while also minimising any sort of negative impact that this is going to have on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people," Ms Warner said.

"There's no point in sugar-coating it, this is a dire situation and this crisis can only be averted with immediate emergency funding complemented with a sector strengthening plan for ensuring ongoing service sustainability."

Ms Warner said some people will still be able to receive other legal assistance, but warned it can never be the culturally safe service that ALS provides.

"Others will face lengthy delays or other poor outcomes," she said.

"Also, there may be some people who don't receive any legal support at all. We know the risk of clients self-represented in court is very high, and this usually results in far worse outcomes than if they'd had a lawyer."

Ms Warner said state and federal governments have known about the "slide into crisis" for some time.

"The scale of the problem means that without emergency funding, we face a significant threat to our reason for existing."

More information on freezes can be found on the ALS NSW/ACT website.

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