The inquiry emphasised the need for funding towards legal assistance for veterans
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has acknowledged the work of the Defence and Veterans Legal Service (DAVLS), a free service established by National Legal Aid.
“[We] commend DAVLS [the Defence and Veterans Legal Service] for its services to veterans… Its approach has emphasised the need for trauma-informed services, with strong relationships and referral pathways with ESOs [ex-service organisations]”, the report indicated.
DAVLS helped around 1,500 people prepare their submissions for the inquiry, which received nearly 6,000 submissions.
The Royal Commission examined the National Legal Assistance Partnership, and one recommendation made was that veterans and “'serving personnel experiencing bullying and harassment” should be included among priority clients. The Royal Commission “strongly” endorsed the recommendation.
The inquiry also found that advocacy support services to help veterans apply for compensation needed to be improved. According to National Legal Aid executive director Katherine McKernan, fee-for-service advocates – “non-lawyers who don’t have to cap their fees when helping people to apply for veteran entitlements” – charged high rates.
“Applying for entitlements can be extremely difficult and veterans often seek legal assistance during that process. Sadly, some law firms charge large amounts for legal support that has been freely available from the Defence and Veterans Legal Service for three years during the Royal Commission”, McKernan said. “Free legal support is vital for veterans and will help the Commonwealth clear the backlog of 41,000 veteran entitlements claims”.
With the inquiry having concluded, DAVLS will cease this month. Earlier this year, a number of legal bodies had called out the underfunding of the legal aid sector.
