Reporting to Office of Legal Services Coordination
Commonwealth agencies are required to report to the Office of Legal Services Coordination (OLSC) on the following:
- Significant Issues - FMA agencies are to report as soon as possible to OLSC on significant issues that arise in the provision of legal services, especially in handling claims and litigation. Once a matter has been reported as significant, agencies are required to provide monthly updates to OLSC on the progress of the significant issues. Frequency of updates may be negotiated where monthly reporting would not be appropriate. Refer to paragraph 3 of the Legal Services Directions 2005 and Guidance Note 7 for further information.
Download the Significant Issues Initial Reporting Template:
Download the Significant Issues update request template:
- Compliance with the Legal Services Directions 2005 – The Chief Executive of an FMA agency is responsible for providing OLSC, within 60 days after the end of each financial year, with a certificate setting out the extent to which the Chief Executive believes there has by compliance by the agency with the Directions. Please see paragraph 11.2 of the Legal Services Directions 2005 and Guidance Note 3 for further information.
- In 2009-10, the Attorney-General’s Department received notification of 43 possible breaches of the Legal Services Directions. Those substantiated were mainly related to a failure to provide a certificate of compliance within 60 days of the end of the financial year, failure to report legal services expenditure within 60 days of the end of the financial year, and a failure to consult appropriately with other agencies (see Table 1).
- In 2010-11, the Attorney-General’s Department received notification of 40 possible breaches of the Legal Services Directions. Those substantiated were mostly in relation to failure to provide a certificate of compliance within 60 days of the end of the financial year and failure to report legal services expenditure within 60 days of the end of the financial year (see Table 1).
| Year | Matters carried forward | Established breaches | Examined and found not to involve breaches | Matters still under investigation at year end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 | 16 | 24 | 30 | 5 |
| 2010-11 | 5 | 18 | 10 | 17 |
- Legal Services Expenditure – Both FMA and CAC Act agencies must report to OLSC about their legal services expenditure and legal work of the agency, using a template approved by OLSC, within 60 days after the end of each financial year.
Download the Legal Services Expenditure Reporting Template:
- Pro bono work – The current Deed of Standing Offer requires legal services providers undertaking work for the Commonwealth to report to OLSC in relation to the pro bono work that they aspire to do, and that they have done, within 30 days after the end of each financial year in a standard template approved by OLSC.
Download the Pro Bono Reporting Template:
Contact us
Office of Legal Services Coordination
Attorney-General’s Department
3-5 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600
Telephone: (02) 6141 3642
Email: olsc@ag.gov.au
