February 28, 2024
Keen demand for Māori legal clinic
Ngāti Hine lawyer Keegan Jones says a year on from starting a free legal clinic in Whāngarei, demand is growing.
Mr Jones has been running the fortnightly clinic with support from Ngāti Hine Health Trust and the Citizens Advice Bureau, with help from colleagues willing to donate a few hours to help whānau who can’t afford hefty legal charges for basic advice.
He says it’s not as simple as asking people their problems and telling them what to do.
“For me it’s a thing of tika and te ao Maori. I want to get to know my clients first before they give me this raruraru they have. That’s the difference between my clinics and your stock standard – I want to create a relationship with my clients because I think that’s most important first and then we can delve into the legal complexities they may have,” Mr Jones says.
Keegan Jones says he’s looking for support to make the clinics weekly, and he also encourages other lawyers to start clinics in their communities because of the impact they can have.