The Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre (NRCLC) prides itself on being a stalwart in the pursuit of social justice for our region! 

NRCLC has a number of legal outreaches in Casino, Tweed, Murwillumbah, Pottsville and Lismore for people who need free legal advice every week. We provide community legal education and also a tenants' advice and advocacy service, a women's domestic violence court advocacy service and Aboriginal community development programs

, such as the successful Mirrung Ngu Wanjarri Project which raises awareness about the consequences of family violence.

One of NRCLC's community development activities is the broadcast of an Aboriginal Legal Access Program on Richmond Valley Radio 88.9fm - a community radio station situated at Bora Ridge. The station has a large listening audience in local Aboriginal communities. The program started in mid-November 2011 and has promoted NRCLC services and raised legal issues concerning domestic violence, human rights, youth legal issues and family law.

The show also features Indigenous music and interviews with guests such as Dr Tom Calma, the former Social Justice Commissioner for the Human Rights Commission and current Australian Social Inclusion Board member. Since we started broadcasting, we have received some great feedback from local communities about the value of the program as an access to social justice initiative.

For further information, tune into 88.9fm Richmond Valley Radio via their website www.radio889.org.au on Tuesdays from 2-3pm.

A day at court with our Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service:

Late in the afternoon a woman and her kids experience abuse yet again from her partner. Next thing the Police are there and an AVO has been taken out . She comes along to court a few weeks later full of anxiety, fear and shame as to what happens next.

“Will the kids be taken away?" she thinks. “Will he be locked up? I feel that it's my fault. I do still love him."

The DVCAS worker asks her if she would like some assistance and would she like to sit in the safe room. "

"Yes," she says, and the worker explains that it isn’t her fault and that she has rights and so do her children.

An AVO is put in place to help keep her safe from verbal, emotional, financial and physical abuse. She did not realise all the different types of abuse that come under the DV heading. She feel much more informed and feels like she has some power back in her life and it might now be okay. Everyday DVCAS workers support and assist women in similar situations. We aim to support and empower woman to achieve social justice .