LEGAL AID COMMISSION (ACT)
Objectives
The Legal Aid Commission (the Commission), established by the Legal Aid Act 1977 (the Act), provides legal assistance in accordance with the Act.  The assistance may be provided by private legal practitioners or the Commission’s own officers.  The Commission also represents regional residents whose legal proceedings take place in the ACT.
The main objective of the Commission is to maximise access to justice in the ACT by providing legal services to disadvantaged members of the community.
As well as legal representation, the Commission provides other services such as duty lawyers, advice, community education and input on law reform.
2006-07 Priorities
Strategic and operational issues to be pursued in 2006‑07 include:
•	implementing new ACT/Australian Government funding agreement;
•	monitoring a partnering project with South-East Aboriginal Legal Services to address family law needs of Indigenous community members; and
•	developing an electronic eligibility assessment and funds transfer system to meet existing and developing requirements of clients and practitioners.

Output Classes
	Total Cost1
	Government Payment for Outputs	
	2005‑06
Est. Outcome2
$’000	2006‑07
Budget
$’000	2005‑06
Est. Outcome
$’000	2006‑07
Budget
$’000	
Output Class 1:
Payments to Legal Practitioners	8,304	8,531	-	6,654	
Output 1.1:
Payments to Private Legal Practitioners	3,654	3,754	-	2,928	
Note:
1.	Total cost includes depreciation of $0.030 million in 2006‑07 depreciation in Output Class level.
2.	The 2005-06 estimated outcome is included for comparative purposes. 
Output Description
Payments to private practitioners are for work referred to private practitioners.  Payments are made on the basis of pre‑determined commitment levels set at the time of the granting of aid.  Any amendments to the pre-determined amounts are done on a case-by-case assessment.  This output is an indicator of the level of Legal Aid work being referred to, and performed by, private practitioners during the year.
	Total Cost	Government Payment for Outputs	
	2005-06
Est. Outcome1
$’000	2006-07
Budget
$’000 	2005-06
Est. Outcome
$’000 	2006-07
Budget
$’000 	
Output 1.2: 
In-house Legal Payments					
	4,650	4,777	-	3,726	
Note:
1.	The 2005-06 estimated outcome is included for comparative purposes.
Output Description 
The Commission provides numerous legal services to the community through salaried legal practitioners.  The basis of service provision is the same as in Output 1.2.  This output is an indication of the cost of work being undertaken by the Commission’s salaried legal practitioners.

Strategic Indicators
Strategic Indicator 1
Target Group Access to Legal Aid Services
The Legal Aid Commission’s main objective is to maximise access to justice in the ACT by providing legal services to members of the community unable to afford the cost of appropriate legal representation.  Performance relative to this objective is monitored by measuring grants of legal assistance to Legal Aid Commission target groups.

Table 1 
Percentage of Legal Aid Commission grants of legal assistance to target groups

	2005-06 Est. Outcome	2006-07 Budget	2007-08 Projection	2008-09 Projection	2009-10 Projection	
						
Total Grants of Legal Assistance	2,700	2,500	2,500	2,500	2,500	
						
Percentage of grants of legal assistance provided to target group1						
 - Recipients of Commonwealth benefits	76%	76%	76%	76%	76%	
 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander	6%	6%	6%	6%	6%	
 - Female	58%	58%	58%	58%	58%	
Note:
1.	Percentages will not sum to 100 as not all groups are included and because some clients will fall into two groups.

Accountability Indicators

	2005‑06
Targets	2005-061
Est. Outcome	2006-07
Targets	
Output Class 1: Payments to Legal Practitioners	
Output 1.1: Payments to Private Legal Practitioners	
				
a.	Grants Made1	n/a	1,400	1,400	

Note:
1	The 2005‑06 estimated outcome is included for comparative purposes.  

	2005‑06
Targets	2005-061
Est. Outcome	2006-07
Targets	
Output 1.2: In-house Legal Payments	
				
a.	Grants Made1	n/a	1,100	1,100	

Note:
1	The 2005‑06 estimated outcome is included for comparative purposes.

Changes to Appropriation 
Changes to Appropriation - Departmental						
 	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	
Government Payment for Outputs	Est. Outc.	Budget	Estimate	Estimate	Estimate	
 	$'000	$'000	$'000	$'000	$'000	
						
2005-06 Budget	 - 	 - 	 - 	 - 	 - 	
						
2006-07 Budget Technical Adjustments						
Direct Appropriation of GPO	 - 	3,385	3,547	3,713	3,844	
						
2006-07 Budget	 - 	3,385	3,547	3,713	3,844	

Commonwealth Grants 
The major Commonwealth payments for which Legal Aid Commission (ACT) has responsibility for are: 
			
Name of Grant
	Activities Funded by Grant
 	2006‑07
Estimate
$’000	
			
Payment for Commonwealth Outputs	Provision of various Commonwealth related services	3,170	
			
Primary Dispute Resolution 	Provision of the Primary Dispute Resolution program	96	

Total
		
3,266	

Legal Aid Commission (ACT)	
Operating Statement	
  2005-06			  2005-06	   2006-07		  2007-08	  2008-09	  2009-10		
    Budget			Est.Outcome	   Budget	   Var	  Estimate	   Estimate	  Estimate		
    $'000			   $'000	   $'000	    %	   $'000	    $'000	   $'000		
		Income								
		Revenue								
0		Government Payment for Outputs	0	3,385	#	3,547	3,713	3,844		
324		User Charges - Non ACT Government	324	331	2	341	349	349		
6,384		User Charges - ACT Government	3,165	0	-100	0	0	0		
96		Grants from the Commonwealth	3,315	3,269	-1	3,271	3,274	3,274		
854		Interest	854	825	-3	781	750	750		
7,658		Total Revenue	7,658	7,810	2	7,940	8,086	8,217		
		Gains								
0		Total Gains	0	0	-	0	0	0		
7,658		Total Income	7,658	7,810	2	7,940	8,086	8,217		
		Expenses								
3,261		Employee Expenses	3,261	3,368	3	3,451	3,501	3,501		
528		Superannuation Expenses	528	546	3	559	567	567		
4,485		Supplies and Services	4,485	4,598	3	4,452	4,017	4,148		
30		Depreciation and Amortisation	30	19	-37	0	0	0		
8,304		Total Ordinary Expenses	8,304	8,531	3	8,462	8,085	8,216		
-646		Operating Result	-646	-721	-12	-522	1	1		

Legal Aid Commission (ACT)	
Balance Sheet	
    Budget			Est.Outcome	   Planned		   Planned	   Planned	   Planned		
as at 30/6/06			as at 30/6/06	as at 30/6/07	   Var	as at 30/6/08	as at 30/6/09	as at 30/6/10		
   $'000			   $'000	    $'000	    %	    $'000	    $'000	    $'000		
		Current Assets								
0		Cash	194	194	-	194	194	194		
231		Receivables	177	178	1	179	180	181		
1,226		Investments	2,066	1,363	-34	840	840	840		
62		Other	74	74	-	74	74	74		
1,519		Total Current Assets	2,511	1,809	-28	1,287	1,288	1,289		
		Non Current Assets								
340		Receivables	361	361	-	361	361	361		
27		Property, Plant and Equipment	19	0	-100	0	0	0		
367		Total Non Current Assets	380	361	-5	361	361	361		
1,886		TOTAL ASSETS	2,891	2,170	-25	1,648	1,649	1,650		
		Current Liabilities								
470		Payables	567	567	-	567	567	567		
726		Employee Benefits	873	873	-	873	873	873		
1,196		Total Current Liabilities	1,440	1,440	-	1,440	1,440	1,440		
		Non Current Liabilities								
69		Employee Benefits	94	94	-	94	94	94		
69		Total Non Current Liabilities	94	94	-	94	94	94		
1,265		TOTAL LIABILITIES	1,534	1,534	-	1,534	1,534	1,534		
621		NET ASSETS	1,357	636	-53	114	115	116		
		REPRESENTED BY FUNDS EMPLOYED								
171		Accumulated Funds	907	186	-79	-336	-335	-334		
450		Reserves	450	450	-	450	450	450		
621		TOTAL FUNDS EMPLOYED	1,357	636	-53	114	115	116		

Legal Aid Commission (ACT)	
Cash Flow Statement	
  2005-06			  2005-06	   2006-07		  2007-08	  2008-09	  2009-10		
    Budget			Est.Outcome	   Budget	   Var	  Estimate	   Estimate	  Estimate		
    $'000			   $'000	   $'000	    %	   $'000	    $'000	   $'000		
		CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES								
		Receipts								
0		Cash from Government for Outputs	0	3,385	#	3,547	3,713	3,844		
6,708		User Charges	3,489	331	-91	341	349	349		
854		Interest Received	854	825	-3	781	750	750		
96		Grants Received from the Commonwealth	3,315	3,269	-1	3,271	3,274	3,274		
176		Other Revenue	176	176	-	176	176	176		
7,834		Operating Receipts	7,834	7,986	2	8,116	8,262	8,393		
		Payments								
3,676		Related to Employees	3,676	3,801	3	3,894	3,949	3,949		
4,585		Related to Supplies and Services	4,585	4,711	3	4,568	4,136	4,267		
177		Other	177	177	-	177	177	177		
8,438		Operating Payments	8,438	8,689	3	8,639	8,262	8,393		
-604		NET CASH INFLOW/(OUTFLOW) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	-604	-703	16	-523	0	0		
		CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES								
		Receipts								
195		Proceeds from Sale/Maturities of Investments	195	703	261	523	0	0		
195		Investing Receipts	195	703	261	523	0	0		
195		NET CASH INFLOW/(OUTFLOW) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES	195	703	261	523	0	0		
-409		NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN CASH HELD	-409	0	100	0	0	0		
409		CASH AT BEGINNING OF REPORTING PERIOD	603	194	-68	194	194	194		
0		CASH AT THE END OF THE REPORTING PERIOD	194	194	-	194	194	194		

Legal Aid Commission (ACT)	
Statement of Changes in Equity	
    Budget			Est.Outcome	   Planned		   Planned	   Planned	   Planned		
as at 30/6/06			as at 30/6/06	as at 30/6/07	   Var	as at 30/6/08	as at 30/6/09	as at 30/6/10		
   $'000			   $'000	    $'000	    %	    $'000	    $'000	    $'000		
1,267		Opening Balance	2,003	1,357	-32	636	114	115		
		Accumulated Funds								
-646		Operating Result for the Period	-646	-721	-12	-522	1	1		
		Reserves								
-646		Total Income And Expense For The Period	-646	-721	-12	-522	1	1		
		Transactions Involving Equity Holders Affecting Accumulated Funds								
621		Closing Balance	1,357	636	-53	114	115	116		
Notes to the Budget Statements
Operating Statement
•	government payment for outputs:  the increase of $3.385 million in the 2006-07 Budget from the 2005-06 estimated outcome is due to the Commission being directly appropriated from 2006-07;
•	user charges – ACT Government:  the decrease of $3.219 million in the 2005‑06 estimated outcome from the original budget is due mainly to a variation in the service contract with the Australian Government that allowed the direct payment of grants to the Commission.  The decrease of $3.165 million in the 2006-07 Budget from the 2005-06 estimated outcome reflects the change to direct appropriation from 2006-07;
•	employee expenses:  the increase of $0.107 million in the 2006‑07 Budget from the 2005‑06 estimated outcome is due to wage increases; and
•	supplies and services:  the increase of $0.113 million in the 2006‑07 Budget from the 2005‑06 estimated outcome is mainly due to indexation and an expected increase in service provision.
Balance Sheet
•	cash:  the increase of $0.194 million in the 2005‑06 estimated outcome from the original budget is due to a transfer of funds from investments;
•	investments:  the increase of $0.840 million in the 2005‑06 estimated outcome from the original budget is due to a better than anticipated operating result in 2004‑05.  The decrease of $0.703 million in the 2006‑07 budget from the 2005‑06 estimated outcome reflects the utilisation of investments for operational reasons.