Northern Community Legal Service

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:33): My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the minister inform the council on the recent achievements of the Northern Community Legal Service?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:33): I am pleased to, and I congratulate the Hon. Tung Ngo for helping the opposition with their cute little strategy in asking me questions today. I thank him for his interest in this area. I am proud to report that the Northern Community Legal Service and its legal practitioners have been recognised in three different categories of awards so far in 2024.

The Northern Community Legal Service have helped thousands of disadvantaged and vulnerable South Australians in northern suburbs and the Mid North access justice. The service was established in 1990 and is currently located in Salisbury, with outreach services to Gawler and Davoren Park servicing many of our northern metropolitan communities.

I last reported to the council in 2022 that the service had been recognised as the best community service in the Salisbury business awards. I am thrilled to report that the service has taken out that award again this year in recognition of the important contribution it makes to members of the northern suburbs community through free legal advice and representation as well as offering community legal education.

Next, I congratulate Tina Bruno, who was recognised in the Lawyers Weekly Australian Law Awards in 2024 as the National Mentor of the Year. Ms Bruno is a senior solicitor for the Northern Community Legal Service. She conducts a number of outreach services in order to provide legal assistance to those members of the community who are the most isolated and vulnerable. She is committed to being able to access justice and specialises in working with clients impacted by family violence. Tina also has a passion for mentoring students and ensuring newly minted practitioners are supported in challenging yet rewarding ways in the profession as demonstrated by her winning this deserving award.

Finally, as I recently had the pleasure of reporting to the council, Ms Rahimi Wahidi was awarded the Emerging Lawyer of the Year at this year's Law Society of South Australia Legal Profession Dinner. Ms Wahidi arrived in Australia in 2005 as a refugee from Afghanistan at only the age of 11. She now works as a solicitor in the Northern Community Legal Service. On top of her important work there, she has initiated outreach services with refugee organisations and a local government school. I would like to congratulate and thank the service's director, Ms Patsy Kellett, who must be immensely proud as we as a government are of the recognition of the service and the awards that staff have received.

While there are often words thrown around in our community about the practice of law and particularly private practice and its motivations, practitioners who dedicate their careers to community legal centres, such as the Northern Community Legal Service, do so as a valuable public service to assist members of our community when they need it most. They rightly deserve the recognition for their tireless efforts.