Our story

TRLS’s work involves the provision of free key legal assistance and representation to people who could not otherwise obtain it due to financial and other forms of distinct disadvantage, often related to their cultural or linguistically diverse backgrounds or experiences of torture or trauma.

We provide our clients with protection from persecution, a pathway to permanency, safety from family violence and a pathway to reuniting with family, these are our core aims. We provide expert legal advice and assistance to people who need a safe place where they can rebuild their lives with dignity and care and with a sense of belonging.

We have helped many of our clients rebuild their lives in safety and we have done that by providing them with a legal pathway to stay and to come to Australia, and we have used a human rights framework to do this.

TRLS is the only dedicated refugee, migrant, asylum seeker and humanitarian entrant legal service in Tasmania. TRLS addresses an access-to-justice gap that manifests from the unique circumstances of this cohort. TRLS’ legal services significantly improves the operation of the justice system for persons resident in Tasmania who would otherwise be without access to legal services.