Expensive Commonwealth Criminal Cases Fund (ECCCF)

Overview

The Australian Government is inviting legal aid commissions to apply for reimbursement under the Expensive Commonwealth Criminal Cases Fund (ECCCF). This program, open to legal aid commissions, ensures that legal aid commissions have sufficient resources to provide a legal defence for people charged with serious Commonwealth criminal offences who cannot afford private legal representation. ECCCF is used to reimburse legal aid commissions for costs incurred defending clients in serious, high cost, Commonwealth criminal matters (such as drug importation, people smuggling, terrorism, fraud and slavery).