This time next week, we will likely know the makeup of the next Federal Parliament and who will form the next Australian Government.

Whoever occupies the Treasury benches will be armed with the Law Council of Australia’s (LCA) Call to Parties 2025; a document that provides a clear set of priorities to strengthen the nation’s justice system.

The Law Society echoes the LCA’s positions, particularly on the importance of meaningful consultation around legislative reform processes to take advantage of the expert knowledge of the LCA’s various committees, thereby avoiding poorly framed legislation. Members of our policy committees make frequent and significant contributions to the LCA’s submissions.

The Call to Parties pays particular attention to access to justice issues. These range from fairer rates for private practitioners undertaking legal aid work, more support for the legal assistance sector, and court resources that meet the needs of growing communities.

On this latter point, I had the opportunity recently to reiterate the Law Society’s advocacy for a new Justice Precinct for South-West Sydney. At least a half dozen of my predecessors as President, stretching back to Doug Humphries in 2018, have campaigned strongly for this project.

The present facilities are ageing and overstretched and those in the region who need to access a Federal Circuit and Family Law Court of Australia (FCFCOA) registry are 50km away from the nearest existing Registries in the CBD, Parramatta and Wollongong.

As the population in this region grows from twice that of the Northern Territory now, to more than a million within 15 years, the sad reality of family break-ups will increase. The lack of a local FCFCOA places an intolerable burden on people involved in traumatic family law proceedings.

Aside from the positive access to justice impacts, the construction of this precinct makes sense from a business perspective. It is likely to attract more practitioners to the region and we understand university law schools are interested in establishing legal studies campuses in or near the completed precinct.

I joined the Mayor of Campbelltown City Council Darcy Lound and the Executive Director of Business Western Sydney David Borger in a story broadcast on Seven News Sydney, calling on the next Australian Government to invest a modest $5 million for a business case to include the FCFCOA as an integral part of the precinct. 

The need is there, the land is there, the local demand is there. It’s time for this project to move ahead to give one of the fastest growing regions in Australia the access to justice their citizens deserve.

Jennifer Ball, President, Law Society of NSW