A free legal education service is to be trialled by Te Kōputu a te whanga a Toi (the Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre) and Baywide Community Law.

Starting at midday on Friday, 19 April, a series of one-hour, fortnightly sessions will be held in the Little Orchard Activity Room and Atrium. Local solicitors David Sparks and Sheryl Overington will cover a range of legal topics, including wills and power of attorney arrangements; consumer law and your rights; employment law; Māori land succession; and the New Zealand Constitution.

Any detailed or ongoing advice required by participants will then be provided through Baywide Community Law’s offices in Whakatāne, Kawerau or Ōpōtiki, or via clinics run in Matatā and Waimana.

Te Kōputu staff are looking to expand the concept through partnerships with other community organisations, with a focus on neighbourhood awareness and advice and advocacy services.