Legal Clinic

Between 2020 and 2022, a United Nation Development Fund (UNDP) and Disability Rights Fund (DRF) funded Access to Justice Project supported provision of free legal assistance to persons with disabilities through a bi-weekly Legal Clinic for people with disabilities. The legal clinic recognised that people with disabilities face environmental, attitudinal, communication and institutional barriers in accessing legal advice from the Public Solicitors Office (PSO) and other justice services. Since the conclusion of the project in June 2022, the clinic has ceased operations. However, both PSO and DPASI have expressed strong interest in continuing clinic operations subject to available resourcing. The revival of the legal clinic will help empower persons with disabilities to exercise their rights to effective access to justice.

The Australian Solomon Islands Partnership for Justice (ASIPJ) confirmed 2024 funding to support revival of the legal clinic. Recognising the impact of inconsistent service delivery to persons with disabilities where clinic operations are reliant on short-term project funding, the parties to this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aim to outline a sustainable model for clinic operations. Where ongoing funding will be required, this is clearly identified within the MoU to support development of future funding proposals.