Strengthening legal responses to disasters
Disasters and crises cause legal problems and increase vulnerability.
We’ve seen first-hand how legal need shifts during disasters and crises. We’re using our evidence, and the experiences of the people we’ve helped, to call on all levels of government to act.
See our campaigns
Why disasters make legal problems worse
When crises and disasters occur, we know that existing legal problems are exacerbated and new legal needs emerge. Often these legal problems impact the most disadvantaged people in our society, as well as uncovering newly at-risk cohorts and communities.
Unexpected legal problems can affect people’s health, financial stability and relationships. In these times of crisis, people need to be able to access legal help as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
Unexpected legal problems can affect people’s health, financial stability and relationships
How we’re helping strengthen legal responses to disasters
Over more than a decade, our team of expert lawyers have played a central role in the legal
response to disasters and crises, including:
– 2009 Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria
– 2017 Bourke St Massacre in Melbourne
– 2019-2020 bushfires primarily in Victoria and NSW
– 2020-2021 COVID-19 crisis.
Based on our extensive experiences responding to disasters and crises, as well as the lived experience of people we’ve assisted, we’re calling for more support for strategic and coordinated legal responses to disasters.
Our campaigns on strengthening legal responses to disasters
Your support makes this impact possible
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Disaster Legal Support Resource Hub
We’ve created a hub of resources for people living and working in communities impacted by, or at risk of, disasters.
Find a range of legal information resources and links to other sources of information for individuals, small businesses, community lawyers and other frontline workers.
Read our latest articles on strengthening legal responses to disasters
As part of our strategy to help strengthen legal responses to disasters, we share what we’ve learned from our work in submissions to Royal Commissions and provide recommendations to governments.
Our stories about strengthening legal responses to disasters
We help bushfire affected farmers
Read James's storyJames was thankful to be connected with local lawyers who could better understand and support him.
