Technology is the Answer…But What Was the Question? Experiments in the Delivery of Legal Services to Regional, Rural and Remote Clients

Australian Legal Aid Commissions have devised a range of innovative legal services in attempts to maximise the reach of legal aid funds in the context of government funding restrictions. Through a series of case studies, the authors sought to determine the extent to which these services meet clients’ needs while representing an efficient use of limited legal aid resources. This paper focuses on two of the case studies of technology-based services: a community legal centre set up to provide legal information, advice and minor assistance to remote communities by means of videoconferencing; and a telephone hotline providing information, dispute resolution options, legal advice and referrals to callers from non-metropolitan Australia. Both services were designed to assist clients in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia who would otherwise have extremely limited access to legal services. The paper concludes, however, that these were both failed experiments