Current Grant Opportunity View - GO5027
Legal assistance for the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide was established on 8 July 2021. The Australian Government is funding a legal financial assistance scheme to assist individuals and entities to meet the costs of legal representation and disbursements associated with formally engaging with the Royal Commission.
Legal financial assistance may be available to an entity for their reasonable legal representation and disbursement costs in the following situations:
- they are called, or granted leave to appear, as a witness at a public or private hearing of the Royal Commission
- being requested to attend a private session of the Royal Commission (if the Royal Commission authorises legal representation to be present)
- they are requested to attend or are attending an interview of the Royal Commission
- they are requested to provide a written statement that will be used as evidence of the Royal Commission
- they are required to comply with a notice to produce issued by the Royal Commission.
If your organisation has been called by the Royal Commission, the organisation will be assessed to determine whether it can meet the cost of its legal representation without incurring serious financial difficulty.
If you have been called in your personal capacity, you will be exempt from an assessment of financial circumstances.
Assessment timeframes
Completed applications will be assessed within 21 days. Incomplete applications will not be assessed. You will be notified if your application is incomplete, and requested to provide missing information.
If you receive less than 21 days' notice of appearing or attending an interview of the Royal Commission, the department will try to assess your application before the date of appearance.
How payments are made
If a grant is approved, the department will only pay after the work has been performed, and a claim has been made to the department. The Commonwealth Legal Financial Assistance Schemes Assessment of Costs (2012) sets the maximum amount the department can pay under grants.
$8,440,000.00
Access to the scheme is through direct application to Legal Financial Assistance Casework at the Attorney-General's Department.
Legal assistance for people engaging with the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide
Alternatively, apply by downloading the application form (in GO Documents), and emailing the completed form to finass@ag.gov.au with any attachments.
If you cannot email the application, or need further information, telephone Legal Financial Assistance Casework on 02 6141 4770 or 1800 117 995 between 8:30am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.
If you are applying as an organisation, you must provide financial details, including annual income from all sources and total value of assets. Supporting documentation should be attached to the application. All information provided is treated in confidence.
Legal framework
The Commonwealth Guidelines for Legal Financial Assistance 2012 (the Guidelines) establish the Royal Commissions and Inquiries Scheme.
The operation of the Guidelines are modified by the Commonwealth Guidelines for Legal Financial Assistance 2012: Addendum for the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
The Commonwealth Legal Financial Assistance Schemes Assessment of Costs (July 2012) provides detailed information of what is payable and at what rate.
All documents can be found in GO Documents.