The growing legal access crisis in regional and remote Australia

Justice shouldn't be determined by your postcode, yet for many people across regional and remote NSW, that remains the reality. In this episode, Ronan MacSweeney and Danielle Ford examine the growing access-to-justice gap, the barriers facing communities outside metropolitan areas, and why action to address the issue cannot wait. In a recent episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Grace Robbie speaks with Ronan MacSweeney, president of the Law Society of NSW, and Dannielle Ford, president of the Central West Regional Law Society and director solicitor at Cheney Suthers Lawyers, about the current state of access to justice in regional and remote NSW, as well as the real-world consequences communities face due to limited infrastructure investment outside metropolitan areas. The discussion also reflects on a recent two-day forum in Orange, which brought together more than 20 leading legal professionals from across NSW to confront the challenges facing regional and remote communities, the growing pressures on practitioners outside metropolitan areas, and the factors driving fewer lawyers to regional practice. It highlights the urgent areas requiring investment and attention, stresses the importance of NSW taking a long-term approach to planning for regional legal services, and calls for more lawyers to consider the rewarding career opportunities, lifestyle benefits, and community impact that come with practising in regional and remote areas. If you like this episode, show your support by rating us or leaving a review on Apple Podcasts (The Lawyers Weekly Show) and by following Lawyers Weekly on social media: Facebook, X and LinkedIn. If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to the show, email [email protected]