Ruah Legal Services and Mental Health Law Centre

10/09/2025

📍 Wangkathaa, Malpa and Wudjari Country | Goldfields

Last week, RLS lawyers Heidi Rees and Will Nelson were on the road, covering significant ground in the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) Goldfields region to increase access to legal services for matters under the Mental Health Act.

✨Karlkurla | Kalgoorlie

• Three tailored training sessions were delivered to WACHS staff in the Acute Psychiatric Unit, Emergency Department and Community Mental Health Team.

• A Community legal education session was presented to colleagues at Goldfields Community Legal Services, Legal Aid WA, and the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA.

Heidi and Will also had the opportunity to meet with a client in prison.

🌊 Kepa Kurl | Esperance

• Three tailored training sessions delivered to the Emergency Department Team and Community Mental Health Team.

🚗 Our third trip on this year’s travel schedule is now complete.

These trips to Regional, Rural and Remote areas are critical to increasing access to justice, sharing knowledge, strengthening working relationships with WACHS and building connections with local legal assistance providers.

We thank all participants for their engagement and thoughtful questions and look forward to continuing our work across the regions.

08/09/2025

✨ RLS at the Community Legal Centres Australia Conference in Canberra! ✨

⚖️ Today our Chief Integrated Services Officer, Sarah Toovey, and Principal Lawyer, Luke Cassidy, presented a workshop with Norton Rose Fulbright’s Special Counsel, Garth Tinsley, on Integrated Legal Services.

📑 The workshop showcased the extensive work RLS has undertaken to produce the Integrated Services Framework, and the learnings gained from experience in practice.

The interactive session focused on:

✅ Best practice principles

✅ Navigating scenarios where the obligations of lawyers and community workers clash

✅ Protecting Legal Professional Privilege

🔎 The complexities and benefits of integrated legal service delivery were thoroughly explored.

💡 It was a privilege for RLS to share learnings that will support practitioners all over Australia to provide clients with holistic support they need to make meaningful change in their lives.

04/09/2025

One Year of CLMI – Anniversary of the enactment of the Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Act 2023, which came into effect on 1 September 2024.

Part four.

CLMI transformed the way our justice system supports people with mental impairment. It upholds fairness, dignity, and respect for people with mental impairment in the justice system.
Early identification of mental impairment, opportunities to become fit to stand trial and special proceedings for persons who are found unfit to stand trial are provided for within the Act.

CLMI ensures that persons with mental impairment are subject to the least possible restrictions on their freedom, have access to advocacy, and receive the treatment, care, and culturally appropriate support.

Outcomes for clients are improved through the safer and more compassionate pathways for reintegration into the community.

RLS lawyers are the State’s experts in Mental Health Law and CLMI.

📚 You can find more of our community legal education resources here:
https://ruahlegal.org.au/resources-education/

Did you know that until September 2024, laws around people who were deemed unfit to stand trial hadn’t changed since the 1800s? Australia faced internation...

03/09/2025

One Year of CLMI – Anniversary of the enactment of the Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Act 2023, which came into effect on 1 September 2024.

Part three.

When CLMI came into effect, WA created fairer processes for people with mental impairment in the justice system by providing new pathways for safe reintegration into the community.

As part of our CLMI anniversary posts, here we address a key question: “Does CLMI make our communities less safe?”

The answer is no.

CLMI strengthens both recovery and community safety, by providing tailored support for people with mental impairment and ensuring accountability and fairness in the justice system.

RLS lawyers are the State’s experts in Mental Health Law and CLMI.

📚 You can find more of our community legal education resources here: https://ruahlegal.org.au/resources-education/

Meet Nina and Alex from Ruah Legal Services! We continue our CLMI Act introductory series, as they address a key question: “Does this new reform make our com...

02/09/2025

One Year of CLMI – Anniversary of the enactment of the Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Act 2023, which came into effect on 1 September 2024.

Part two.

When a person is accused of a crime, the law presumes they have the mental capacity to understand the charges and take part in the court process. This means they must be able to understand the charges against them, provide instructions to their lawyer, recognise the need to plead guilty or not guilty, and follow the court proceedings.

A person is not fit to stand trial because of mental impairment if the person is unable to:

• understand the nature of the charges
• give instructions to their lawyer
• understand the requirement to plead to the charge or the effect of a plea
• understand the purpose of the trial
• understand or exercise the right to challenge the appointment of jurors
• follow the course of the trial
• understand the effect of evidence presented by the prosecution in the trial
• decide whether or not to give evidence if they wish to do so
• properly defend the charges

RLS lawyers are the State’s experts in Mental Health Law and CLMI. Our team are equipped to assist other lawyers who are representing clients with mental impairments.

📚 You can find more of our community legal education resources here: https://ruahlegal.org.au/resources-education/

Did you know that until September 2024, laws around people who were deemed unfit to stand trial hadn’t changed since the 1800s? Australia faced internation...

01/09/2025

One Year of CLMI – Anniversary of the enactment of the Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Act 2023, which came into effect on 1 September 2024.

Part one.

CLMI marked a long-awaited and transformative reform for people with mental illness in our justice system.

The changes brought:

🔹 Custody Orders limited to the maximum term a person would have served if they had actually committed the offence.

🔹 Evidence being put to the test for people who are unfit to stand trial.

🔹 Community Supervision Orders are now available to monitor people with mental illness in the community as opposed to placing them in prison with limited access to mental health treatment.

RLS was at forefront of advocating for these critical reforms. This week we are proud to re-share videos and information all about CLMI.

These long-awaited reforms restore essential rights within our justice system for people living with mental illness.

RLS lawyers are the State’s experts in Mental Health Law and CLMI.

📚 You can find more of our community legal education resources here:

https://ruahlegal.org.au/resources-education/

In this short video Senior Policy Lawyer Elle introduces what the new CLMI Act is, and why it’s changed. At Ruah Legal Services, we are here to help you unde...

27/08/2025

📍 Yamaji Country | Geraldton

Last week, RLS lawyers Sophie Taylor and Jasmine Hastie travelled to Geraldton as part of our 2025 Mental Health Act Service Expansion.

🧠 A training session was delivered to WA Country Health Service (WACHS) staff working in the Mental Health Unit and Community Mental Health teams in Geraldton, with Carnarvon and Meekatharra WACHS staff joining online.

🤝 Two CPD training sessions were presented to our colleagues at Regional Alliance West, Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia, Aboriginal Family Legal Services and Legal Aid WA.

🚗 This trip marks the second of seven regional visits scheduled for this year. RLS will continue to travel across WA to expand access to our legal services, strengthen working relationships with mental health staff and consumers, and build closer connections with local legal assistance providers.

We’re pleased to report another successful regional trip and look forward to continuing our collaboration across the state.

20/08/2025

🎥 New Video: Integrated Legal Services Video Series – Part Three

Care and protection proceedings – a case study.

When Ebony first contacted RLS, she had been hospitalised following psychosis that developed after leaving a violent relationship.

Her son had been taken into provisional protection and care, and she was facing the devastating possibility of being separated from her child indefinitely.

Through RLS, Ebony was supported by both a lawyer and a community worker.

⚖️ Her lawyer represented her in the care and protection proceedings.

🤝 Her community worker worked intensively with her, to address her non-legal needs and goals.

Ebony was reunited with her son in just six months.

Integrated legal services go beyond solving legal issues - they are about supporting people through life’s toughest times and helping them build a better future.

📚 To access our suite of community legal education resources, visit our website: https://ruahlegal.org.au/resources-education/

*Names have been changed to protect client confidentiality.

View the Integrated Service model and how we walked with 'Ebony' to help achieve better outcomes for her life, escaping family and domestic violence.

13/08/2025

🎥 New Video: Integrated Legal Services Video Series – Part Two
Criminal law proceedings – a case study.

This video follows the story of Julian, who came to RLS when he was charged with stealing.

He was experiencing homelessness and struggling with multiple mental health diagnoses.

His journey from crisis to stability was made possible through the combined efforts of our team.

⚖️ His lawyer provided expert legal advice and representation.
🤝 His Community Worker provided tailored, intensive psychosocial support and non-legal advocacy.

Julian’s story shows what’s possible when people experiencing legal challenges can access integrated services.

📚 To access our suite of community legal education resources, visit our website: https://ruahlegal.org.au/resources-education/

*Names have been changed to protect client confidentiality.

View the Integrated Service model and how we walked with 'Julian' to help achieve better outcomes for his life, as he faced stigma associated with mental hea...

06/08/2025

🎥 New Video: Integrated Legal Services Video Series – Part One

RLS is pleased to release the first of three videos that showcases our integrated service model.

This video series shows how collaboration between lawyers and Key Workers works in practice and leads to better legal and social outcomes for clients.

Integrated legal services recognise that people’s legal problems don’t exist in a vacuum.


When legal help is paired with practical support, the results can be life-changing.

📽️ This first video introduces integrated legal services.
👉 Stay tuned for the release of our case study videos!

📚 To access our suite of community legal education resources, visit our website:
https://ruahlegal.org.au/resources-education/

Showcases who we are, why we integrate, how it works and the advantages of integrated legal services with the lawyer and keyworker as a team.

28/07/2025

📍 Yawuru and Miriwoong Country | Broome & Kununurra

Last week, RLS lawyers Elle de Koning and Jacinta Peet travelled to Broome and Kununurra as part of our 2025 Mental Health Act Service Expansion.

🧠 A range of tailored training sessions were delivered to WA Country Health Service (WACHS) staff working in Mental Health Units and Community Mental Health teams. Our team also provided in-person legal advice to consumers while on the ground.

🤝 While in town, we connected with our colleagues at Kimberley Community Legal ServicesAboriginal Legal Service of WA Limited, and Legal Aid WA to deliver a series of community legal education sessions.

🚗 This trip marks the first of seven regional trips scheduled for this year. RLS will travel across all seven WA health regions to expand access to our legal services, strengthen working relationships with WACHS staff and consumers and develop closer working links with local legal assistance providers.

We’re pleased to report a successful first trip and look forward to continued collaboration across the state.

19/06/2025

🎥 New Community Legal Education Video – The Pre-birth Planning Process🎥

Ruah Legal Services and the Mental Health Law Centre are proud to launch our latest community legal education video, created to support clients involved in the pre-birth planning process.

Pre-birth planning can be a confusing and stressful time—especially for parents already facing complex challenges. This short, animated video explains how the Pre-birth Planning Process works and how our team support and advocate for clients throughout the process.

The video is designed to help expectant parents understand their rights, feel more prepared, and know they are not alone.

To see more of our community legal education resources visit our website:
https://ruahlegal.org.au/resources-education/