Wednesday, 8 January 2020
ACT legal support for bushfire victims
The ACT Law Society joins with the chorus of law societies, legal organisations, and firms who are offering help and support during the bushfires devastating our beautiful country.
Chris Donohue, President of the ACT Law Society, said "The ACT is not currently under threat, thanks in large part to the work being done in NSW. Nevertheless, we are living under a thick pall of smoke, and we are now home to an increasing number of evacuees from fire-affected areas.
"The Law Society has convened a meeting of the Canberra region’s legal service providers to discuss what our community can do to support ACT residents and evacuees, and to update our ACT Emergency Legal Help Plan in the event it becomes necessary to activate it. We would like to stress that the ACT is not currently in a state of emergency, but we stand ready to provide legal support as and when it is needed.
"We will soon be calling for members to put their names on a contingency list as volunteers willing to provide legal assistance to those affected by the bushfires. We encourage our members to get in touch with the Law Society if they, or their clients, require additional support."
The Law Council of Australia is coordinating a list of resources for bushfire victims in need of legal assistance, and people should visit their website at www.lawcouncil.asn.au for more information.
"We would like to acknowledge the hard work being put in by our own ACT Rural Fire Service, as well as the Rural Fire Services of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, all of whom are battling incredible odds in this horrific fire season," said Mr Donohue.
For those wishing to make donations to help the recovery efforts, please consider the NSW Rural Fire Service, the Australian Red Cross Disaster Recovery and Relief, or the WIRES Animal Emergency Fund.
