Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Nino Bucci Justice and courts reporter. Photography: Mike Bowers

Medicare for the justice system: the NSW lawyers who cover 200,000 sq km to see their clients

Mike Bowers Medicare New South Wales Bourke domestic violence
Patrick O’Callaghan photographed outside Lightning Ridge.
Western NSW CLC principal solicitor Patrick O’Callaghan outside Lightning Ridge, NSW. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

In small rooms at the back of the public library, or tucked away to the side of the local court, clients wait for the only free lawyer in town.

It will be a month before this lawyer from the Western New South Wales Community Legal Centre visits again, as part of outreach programs that cover 200,000 square kilometres stretching from Dubbo past Bourke and north to the Queensland border.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
What Is the October Canon Event? TikTok's Viral Theory About Life-Changing Experiences
From texting an ex to losing a friend or making a spectacularly bad decision, TikTok has a name for October's unexpected disasters.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Miley Cyrus Fuels Super Bowl Halftime Show Speculation as 2027 Performer Mystery Intensifies
Miley Cyrus has reignited speculation about the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show after posting about "Bowl rehearsals", although the message may refer to her Hollywood Bowl dates.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
William Shatner’s kidney stone sold for $75,000, helping a Louisiana family get a home
Most people who pass a kidney stone would happily never see it again, but William Shatner’s experience took an unexpected turn. The Star Trek actor’s small black kidney stone, which he assumed had been discarded after removal, became an unusual fundraising item when a Canadian gambling company expressed interest in…
The Times of India
The Times of India
'62 years in the making': Joni Mitchell becomes US citizen
Joni Mitchell has become a US citizen, 62 years after she first left Canada.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Woman Goes In For An Oil Change. Then She Gets Strange Looks When She Decides To Stay In The Car
“My husband thinks I’m crazy for sitting in my car."
Motor1
Motor1
55 Interesting Facts And Posts About The World Around Us
Well-informed people are often called insufferable know-it-alls, but that might just be jealousy. If you secretly wish to be a trivia-night hero, these fascinating facts are just what you need. They are so interesting, you might lose track of time by the end. Just scroll through and check them out…
Bored Panda
Bored Panda
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play