Access and Equity in Australian Law

Section 1 Cost THE IMPACT OF COST ON THE LEGAL SYSTEM The cost of legal advice, assistance and representation is often so high that people decide not to enforce their rights. Concern about this has led to several inquiries into the cost of justice. The problem is that one's ability to exercise legal rights is affected by one's financial situation. The cost of legal advice is no deterrent to the rich, but may be prohibitive for …

…the rural population's often remote location, it is rare for the rural population to be able to gain the relevant legal information, assistance and advice close to their place of residence. Because of the geographical location, rural Australians are, if legal proceedings are started, required to travel to their nearest major city to attend the court and get the relevant information. So why is the rural population disadvantaged in their equity under the legal system?