LEARNING more about how the law works is in focus this week across the nation as towns and cities host Law Week 2019.
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The initiative between May 13 and 19 promotes community awareness and understanding of the law, the legal system and the legal profession.
Courts, legal agencies, solicitors, barristers, police and public libraries are all involved.
A key event at Wagga City Library on May 17 is a Legal Aid workshop about avoiding scams.
It comes around the same time the ACCC released three reports about scams.
One shows that Australians lost about $489 million in 2018, which is $149 million more than 2017.
Jessica McLaren, acting solicitor in charge of community legal education at Legal Aid NSW, encouraged residents to participate.
"Even if people think it might not be relevant right, our message is it might be something useful later down the track,"Ms Mclaren said.
"If you can't make the workshops, you can also visit the Legal Aid website for other webinars about various topics."
Wagga City Library manager Claire Campbell said the library is one of 40 across the state to participate.
"The workshop will bring legal service providers into our local library to share their expertise and inform the community on legal issues that impact on their everyday lives," Ms Campbell said.
The workshops are a collaboration between the State Library of NSW, Legal Aid NSW, Community Legal Centres and NSW Fair Trading.
To coincide with Law Week, the Riverina Police District will also begin its annual Coffee with a Cop.
Seven events are set across the region.
Inspector Peter McLay said the events are "about trying to give back to the community".
"There'll be local police, our crime-prevention unit, and we're hoping to get highway patrol officers to some of those events as well," he said.
Asked about some of the major questions residents usually have, Inspector McLay said most were related to road laws.
"A lot of our questions are traffic related because most people's dealings with police are on the roads," he said.
"Also some concerns about neighbourhood issues."
Inspector McLay said there will also be opportunities to talk about the new drink-driving laws that will come into effect on May 20 this year.
All drink driving offenders can now immediately lose their licence under these new laws.
Julianne Carroll, president of the South West Slopes branch of the NSW Law Society, said learning about the law is not confined only to this week.
"We regularly have schools involved too, including having them sit in court to watch proceedings, as well as have mock trials at their schools," Ms Carroll said.
More about the Law Week workshop at Wagga City Library on Facebook.
Coffee with a Cop by Riverina Police District
- May 13: Quinty Bakehouse, Uranquinty
- May 14: Coolamon Cheese, Coolamon
- May 16: White Rose Cafe, Ariah Park
- May 17: Ray Ray's Diner, Wagga
- May 22: The Coffee Pedaler, Tumut
- May 23: Hopes Place, Gundagai
- May 24: E'Claires Coffee Shop, Cootamundra
For more information: contact Senior Constable Heidi Clancy on 69420028 or clan1hei@police.nsw.gov.au.
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