The Legal Services Commission (the Commission) is an independent statutory authority. It is established by the Legal Services Commission Act 1977 (SA) (the Act) to provide legal assistance to people throughout the State. The Commission is funded by both the South Australian and Commonwealth governments and has the powers, functions and duties prescribed by the Act.

The Commission seeks to give all South Australians equal access to justice through the legal system, providing free legal information, legal advice and legal education to all. To those most in need, legal representation is also provided, principally in the areas of criminal law and family law, including child support and child protection. The Commission has also been involved in advising and supporting victims of family and domestic violence since the 1990s, and it operates a Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service at city and suburban Magistrates’ Courts and a dedicated Domestic Violence Unit at Elizabeth.

The Commission is the largest legal assistance service in South Australia. Legal information and advice, duty lawyer services and representation services are provided by Commission legal practitioners, along with private lawyers who have been accepted onto the Commission’s panel of legal practitioners. Five Commissioners, four appointed by the Governor on the nomination of the Attorney-General, and the Director, determine the policy and set the direction of the Commission. For more information in relation to the structure of the Commission, see Our Structure.