The Greens’ Shane Rattenbury is expressing concern that Attorney-General Simon Corbell has been amending the new Court fees determination to deal with the unintended consequences of the thing.
Under questioning by the Greens, the Attorney revealed today that he amended the Determination, and has created a series of exemptions from the new fees. The new fee structure was only announced in the budget on 5 June.
“The new fees came as a surprise for many in the legal community, indicating a lack of consultation. They represent a major reform and it is troubling the Attorney didn’t talk to the profession about the problems he is trying to fix”, Greens Attorney General spokesperson Shane Rattenbury said.
“The new fees raised immediate questions about access to justice, and the Attorney has been forced to amend the fees to reflect this concern. It casts the original decision to impose the fees in a very poor light.
“When the Attorney does consult with the legal profession about reforms, like we saw with the development of the ‘Blitz’ strategy, we get far more successful policy implementation and good results.
Apparently charities are now exempt and businesses will pay more.
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