Law Week opened yesterday (monjul27) with praise and a warning from the Attorney-General, Terry Connolly.
He said the legal profession was responding to community demands for cheaper more speedy service.
However, if it did not respond to community and government prodding, the Government would not resile from action down the track.
Law Week was opened at the ACT Council of the Ageing at the Hughes Community Centre. This year the week will concentrate on the needs of the ageing. After the opening several Canberra solicitors gave free legal advice to people at the centre.
Free advice will be available all week from 10am to 2pm on 2571492 or 2571641 or between 10am and 4pm at Woden, Belconnen and Tuggeranong shopping malls, and from 10am to 4pm tomorrow (wedjul29). Articles will be run all week in The Canberra Times (see Page 8).
Mr Connolly said that the public often saw the fees of the top QCs or costs in big commercial cases. However, fees for family services by solicitors were in nowhere near that range.
The legal climate for the ageing was changing, and he urged people to take advantage of the free legal advice during the week.
Mr Connolly’s praise and warning is likely to be tested soon. The ACT Government has said it will put forward a proposal on the lawyers’ monopoly on conveyancing soon.
According to Law Society figures, the ACT has 444 solicitors with practising certificates, and increase of 60 over the same time last year.