Australian innovations in legal aid services: balancing cost and client needs

澳大利亚的法律援助创新走在了国际实践的前沿。在过去十年中，澳大利亚法律援助委员会减少了为法律代表提供的赠款数量，同时推出了一系列新服务，其中许多旨在帮助当事人在法庭外解决自己的纠纷，或自己承担与法庭诉讼程序相关的许多工作。该项目将对这些新服务进行独立评估和学术分析。研究结果将为日后法律援助政策和服务的发展提供宝贵意见，并有助在诉讼法律援助、“外间诉讼”和自助方案之间取得理想和具成本效益的平衡。

Australian legal aid innovations are at the forefront of international practice. Over the past decade, Australian Legal Aid Commissions have reduced the number of grants for legal representation, while introducing a range of new services, many of which are designed to assist clients to solve their own dispute out of court, or to undertake much of the work associated with court proceedings themselves. The project will subject these new services to independent evaluation and scholarly analysis. Its results will provide a valuable input into the future development of legal aid policy and services, and assist in achieving a desirable and cost-effective balance between litigation legal aid, 'outside litigation' and self-help options.