Legal aid centre’s office to be moved

Press, 26 February 1980, Page 10

Legal aid centre’s office to be moved

Aranui’s Legal Assistance Centre will move to the 'Wainoni Family Centre in ,Hampshire Street' on March 4. ■ ■ The convenor of the Canterbury District Daw Society’s , legal assistance committee (Mr K. N. Hampton) said legal assistance offices at Beckenham' and Hoon Hay had been shut at the'end of last year in an effort to rationalise the service. At the end of last year ,the service in Hornby had shifted to the new Paparua County Cultural Centre in Goulding Avenue. Eince. the. legal assistance service, began eight years ago- with the setting up of an office in the. city ; the demand had grown eight-fold, sgid : Mr-Hampton. An important factor in the growth of the city office had been

the link with the Citizens Advice Bureau — both city offices were in the Community Services Centre in Gloucester Street. ‘ In the first two or three years of the scheme .offices had been set up in the city, Aranui, Beckenham,. Bishopdale, Hoon Hay, and Hornby. However, there had been no initial research done to see where-the need lay.' The city office had grown from -one session a week when it first began, to five a week. Legal assistance was now. available in Kaiapoi once a fortnight. More than 60 solicitors were rostered to the various centres; In one session a solicitor might see up to? 16 people. About half of the inquiries were related to , matrimonial and domestic matters.