ECLC supports the Federation of Community Legal Centre’s (The Federation’s) plan for a just and equitable recovery for Victorians suffering from the impacts of a prolonged COVID-19 lockdown felt across many sectors from education, housing and work, through to the prison system.

The Federation has released its plan for A just and equitable COVID recovery which was produced with input from the Community Legal Centre (CLC) sector to provide a way forward for Victorians, particularly for those who are most at risk of falling through the cracks.

ECLC CEO Michael Smith said ECLC has seen first-hand how the pandemic and the relevant laws and policies have affected people suffering discrimination and injustice.

“The COVID pandemic has highlighted and worsened existing weaknesses in the effectiveness of legal protections and the processes in place to uphold them.

“We need to work together to address these weaknesses and ensure that no one gets left behind as we find the ‘new normal.

“The Federation’s advocacy will help achieve this,” said Michael.

A just and equitable recovery must:

• protect the welfare and human rights of people in prison throughout the COVID recovery, and move towards a safer prison system;
• expand and entrench vital protections for financially disadvantaged Victorians;
• improve the fairness and resilience of Victoria’s housing systems;
• make sure no workers are left behind in Victoria’s economic rebuild;
• embed access to justice for all victim-survivors and build on best-practice legal supports in measures to respond to the ‘shadow pandemic;’ and
• protect children and young people affected by the crisis and keep them out of the justice system.

Read The Federation’s A just and equitable COVID recovery.