Legal Aid Queensland Act 1997 (Qld)

Legal Aid Queensland Act 1997

An Act to establish Legal Aid Queensland, to provide for legal assistance for persons throughout the State, and for other purposes

Part 1 Preliminary

1 Short title This Act may be cited as the Legal Aid Queensland Act 1997.

2 Commencement (1) Section 90 commences on the date of assent. (2) The remaining provisions commence on 1 July 1997.

3 Main objects (1) The main objects of this Act are— (a) to provide for giving legal assistance to financially disadvantaged persons in the most effective, efficient and economical way; and (b) to pursue innovative commercial arrangements, including legal assistance arrangements, for giving legal assistance at a reasonable cost to the community and on an equitable basis throughout the State. (2) The objects are to be achieved mainly by establishing Legal Aid Queensland.

4 Dictionary The dictionary in the schedule defines particular words used in this Act.

5 Meaning of legal assistance (1) Legal assistance is the giving of a legal service, including legal advice, free or on payment of an amount that is less than the cost of giving the service. (2) The service may be given by a Legal Aid lawyer or Legal Aid service provider.

6 Meaning of legally assisted person A legally assisted person is a person— (a) who is receiving legal assistance; or (b) who was receiving legal assistance for a matter and, before the matter finished, stopped receiving legal assistance.

7 Meaning of legal assistance arrangement A legal assistance arrangement is an arrangement for giving legal assistance under which— (a) the State, Commonwealth or another entity, as purchaser of Legal Aid's legal services, decides what legal services are to be given by Legal Aid, as the provider of the legal services, to legally assisted persons; and (b) Legal Aid, as provider, gives the legal services, directly or indirectly, to legally assisted persons.