PILCH, New South Wales

About PILCH NSW

The first of its kind in Australia, PILCH in NSW was formed in 1992. PILCH NSW is a membership based organisation which each year refers hundreds of requests for help from the community to our members. PILCH NSW also provides advice, coordinates projects to create systemic change and hosts events to raise awareness about public interest matters.

Funding is sourced almost exclusively from annual membership fees supplemented by a grant from the NSW Public Purpose Fund and PILCH fundraising efforts. A Board of Directors guides management of the organisation. PILCH is part of the National PILCH network including QPILCH and VicPILCH, the Queensland-based and Victorian-based public interest law clearing houses.

Our Mission Statement

PILCH NSW is committed to protecting human rights, preventing abuses of power by the State, responding to emerging issues of public concern and helping build sustainable communities. 


We Aim to Bridge the Justice Gap by:

Providing the community with access to pro bono legal representation and other professional service to enable pursuit of important legal and social issues that would otherwise go unaddressed.

Underlying the establishment of PILCH NSW is the commitment from lawyers that the provision of pro bono services is intrinsic to legal professional responsibility. PILCH NSW is committed to expanding the ethic of pro bono in connection with corporate social responsibility initiatives.

The "Public Interest"
Where does PILCH fit in?

PILCH NSW receives, assesses and refers requests for pro bono assistance from members of the public and not-for-profit organisations. PILCH NSW is a trusted pro bono clearing house which engages with key referral agencies such as Community Legal Centres, Law Access NSW, Legal Aid Commission and not-for-profit organisations. We receive hundreds of requests for assistance each year.

Demand Exceeds Supply

Community Legal Centres and Legal Aid are a vital component of access to justice for all people in the community, providing independent legal assistance to a large number of clients as well as contributing to law reform initatives. These services have limited resources however, and legal need in the community exceeds the capacity of these services to provide assistance.

Those who cannot afford to pay for assistance or gain access to Community Legal Centres or Legal Aid, risk falling into the justice gap.

Access to Justice

Many people are socially and economically disadvantaged and struggle to gain access to a range of affordable services, including legal advice. Access to justice can foster social inclusion within communities and address historical and ongoing inequality.

In the words of Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE:
     "It is fundamental to our democracy and to our notion of law that all who require it should have access to justice."

Vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalised people frequently have legal problems that can be devastating without access to justice. Such problems include issues of broad public concern such as predatory lending, discrimination in the workplace, disadvantage resulting from the stolen generations, environmental protection and unlawful detention.

Not-for-profit organisations that assist vulnerable, disadvantaged and marginalized people to participate in the social and economic life or otherwise act in the public good, sometimes need assistance as well. These organisations often have concerns about the administration of their operations which require legal, accounting and other professional advice.

PILCH NSW assists individuals and not-for-profit organisations to obtain help from PILCH NSW Members for no fee where they are unable to afford to pay for assistance or when assistance is otherwise unavailable.

In this way, PILCH NSW Bridges the Justice Gap.

© PILCH NSW 2010