What is the Disabled Law Project?

The TASC Disability Law Project is Australia’s first criminal law service for people who suffer from an intellectual disability, acquired brain injury or mental illness.

The Disability Law Project provides legal representation, advice and support to adults and children that suffer from a mental health illness and/or intellectual disability and/or acquired brain injury who have been charged by Police and are to appear before the Toowoomba and Ipswich Magistrates Court or Children’s Court. In addition, the Disability Law Project provides legal advice and support to such people who have been aggrieved by a criminal act.

The Disability Law Project also provides legal representation, advice and support to patients at either the Toowoomba and Ipswich Acute Mental Health Unit or Baillie Henderson Hospital.

Some Stories

Recent Publication

April 2007
Rough Justice takes an in-depth look at disability and criminal law. Click here to obtain the primer, Rough Justice

Who is eligible?

Any adult or child that suffers from mental illness and/or intellectual disability who have been charged by Police or wish to complain to Police about something that has been done to them.

What types of matters are eligible?

People that suffer from mental illness and/or intellectual disability are eligible in all pleas in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court. They may also be eligible for assistance in summary trials in the Toowoomba and Ipswich Magistrates Court. Patients currently on a forensic order may also be entitled to legal representation before the Mental Health Review Tribunal and/or the Mental Health Court.

Referring clients for representation

Clients can be referred directly to the Disability Law Project lawyer prior to their appearance in the Magistrates Court. However, the Disability Law Project also provides duty lawyer services to disabled clients every day at the Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

If you are a child that suffers from such disability, you will need to contact the Disability Law Project lawyer prior to your appearance in the Children’s Court to arrange an appointment.

If you are a patient at either the Toowoomba Acute Mental Health Unit or Baillie Henderson Hospital, referrals can be made by yourself, an allied person, a family member or the hospital social worker.