The Attorney-General's International Pro Bono Advisory Group
What does ‘pro bono’ mean?
Pro bono comes from the latin phrase "pro bono publico" which means for the public good. In the legal context it generally means the provision of legal services on a free or significantly reduced fee basis. They are services that are provided for:
- people who cannot afford the cost of legal services without financial hardship
- non-profit organisations which work on behalf of members of the community who are disadvantaged or marginalised, or which work for the public good, and
- public interest matters, being matters of broad community concern which would not otherwise be pursued (Law Foundation of NSW 1998).
International pro bono work
The Australian legal community and many non-government organisations are already undertaking a range of international pro bono justice system strengthening activities, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, helping to promote human rights and the rule of law in our region and beyond.
International Pro Bono Advisory Group
In 2009 the Attorney-General recognised a need to better coordinate and target international pro bono work in order to complement the efforts of Australia’s aid program and support the private sector’s desire to engage with regional neighbours. To that end, the Attorney-General established the International Pro Bono Advisory Group with the aim of building effective partnerships in overseas legal capacity-building and access to justice work.
The role of the Advisory Group is to strengthen the partnership between Government, the legal community and the non-government sector to facilitate projects that address international law and justice needs.
For further information about the Pro Bono Advisory Group please contact us.
