Australian Capital Territory
Legal Aid (Commissioner (Law Society Nominee)) Appointment 2006 (No 1)
Disallowable Instrument DI2006-45
made under the  
Legal Aid Act 1977, s7 (3) (Constitution of Commission)
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Legal Aid Act 1977 (the Act), at section 6, provides for the establishment of the Legal Aid Commission.  The commission shall provide legal assistance in ACT matters in accordance with the Act.  This may include arranging for the services of private legal practitioners to be made available at the expense of the commission or by making available the services of officers to the commission.

Section 7(1)(d) of the Act provides that the commission shall be constituted by a commissioner chosen from a panel of not less than three persons nominated by the council of the law society.

This instrument appoints Kay Withey Barralet, a nominee of the Law Society of the ACT, as part time Commissioner of the Legal Aid Commission for a period of three years.

Pursuant to section 228 of the Legislation Act 2001, ministers are required to consult the relevant Standing Committee of the ACT Legislative Assembly concerning appointment to a statutory office, unless the appointments come within in the exemptions permitted by section 227 of that Act.  Ms Barralet is not an ACT Public Servant; therefore, the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs has been consulted with regard to this appointment, and has advised that it has no recommendation to make.