We’re one of over 160 community legal centres in Australia. The service provides the general community with free legal information, advice, representation and referral to other appropriate community resources. The service also conducts legal education programs and works for law reform in areas affecting the general community.
The Hobart Community Legal Service Inc. started in 1985. Our purpose is to empower people, especially the socially disadvantaged, to have full access to our system of law and justice and to community resources, particularly in order to facilitate greater autonomy in pursuit of justice.
HCLS’s Mission Statement says that our aim “is to ensure that all members of the community in the Southern Tasmanian region, especially the disadvantaged, have easier access to a fairer and more equitable legal system”.
HCLS carries out its mission by pursuing the following objectives:
- to provide accurate legal advice and information, and appropriate representation and referral, to our clients
- to promote community awareness of the Service and provide legal education to members of the community
- to encourage, within the community, involvement in law reform processes and to pursue, in concert with other community organisations, law reform to achieve social justice
- to ensure that we operate in an efficient, equitable, professional and cost-effective manner, with due accountability consistent with relevant ‘best practice’.
HCLS is an Incorporated Association with office-bearers and a Committee of Management that is elected each year at an Annual General Meeting of the financial members of the Association. Financial membership of HCLS is open to any member of the public in Southern Tasmania whose application for membership is approved by the Committee of Management.
The Committee of Management is therefore responsible for the affairs of HCLS, on behalf of the membership. Between Committee meetings, these responsibilities rest with the office-bearers (the Executive). On a day-to-day basis, the responsibilities for the running of HCLS rest with the CEO and the various staff employed by HCLS.
In addition, HCLS benefits from the commitment of time and expertise of a number of volunteers.
