Peace, justice and strong institutions AustLII – free access to law

Project summary

Good national governance, along with a just and fair judicial system relies on open and transparent access to legal information. Without this, corruption and injustice can flourish.

The Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII) was established by the Faculties of Law at UTS and the University of NSW in 1995 to promote free access to law in Australia and internationally. To achieve this aim, AustLII provides critical legal information to government, education, courts and tribunals, business and the general public. 

The infrastructure provided by AustLII underpins all research that deals directly or indirectly with Australian law. By maximising access to legal information, AustLII helps to ensure that the legal system operates effectively and efficiently, supports access to justice, and helps to enable the rule of law and democratic institutions for Australia and internationally.

The free online service receives over 240 million page access requests annually (around 700,000 daily) from over 6.5 million distinct hosts.

The service aims to be a comprehensive free access source of Australasian legal information with jurisdictional breadth and historical depth.

AustLII maintains extensive data provision agreements with government, courts, and other data providers. It provides an integrated framework of primary and secondary content, with tools and services to support the legal information and research needs of the many different communities that access the online resources.

AustLII assists other nations and regions to develop online access to their laws to promote and strengthen accountability and transparency of legal systems in other countries.

AustLII is a founding member of the international Free Access to Law Movement (FALM), which now includes over 65 institutional members who provide access to the laws of more than 160 nations. FALM aims to maximise access to justice and the rule of law on a free not-for-profit basis, supporting good governance and the rule of law in all countries.

For more information, visit the Australasian Legal Information Institute website or watch our project video, Reflections on Austlii's 25th Anniversary.

Project timeframe

From 1995 – ongoing

SDG targets addressed by this project

Peace, justice and strong institutions:

16.3 – Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

16.a – Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.

Key collaborators

Faculty of Law, University of NSW

Back to SDG 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions