By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
VICTORIA Legal Aid has refused to support Springvale mechanic Vu Ho’s Supreme Court appeal to keep his pet sheep at home.
Mr Ho faces a $150,000-plus bill from his legal stoush with Greater Dandenong Council in fighting a $225 fine and orders to evict his sheep Baa.
His case was rejected by the Supreme Court in May. Since then a cash-strapped Mr Ho has dismissed a pro bono legal team and will represent himself in the appeal.
“It’s scary representing myself because my English is bad,” he said. “I wish I could get proper lawyers who are willing to work for me and for the right cause.”
A letter from Victoria Legal Aid in August stated it would not pay Mr Ho’s legal costs because his case was not in its list of guidelines and there were no special circumstances.
A VLA spokesman told the Weekly it prioritised its limited funding to people “who need it most”. “We prioritise legal aid for people who are poor and face detention by the state or having decisions made for them, are exposed to risk of violence or harm or are marginalised or vulnerable to exploitation or unfair treatment.”
Other factors included what the legal assistance was for, the likelihood of winning and whether it benefited the public.
Mr Ho also failed VLA’s means test because of his son’s income — although Mr Ho asserted by statutory declaration that his son refused to finance his case.
Mr Ho, who relied on the Supreme Court’s registrar to help him draft his notice of appeal last week, said: “I thought Legal Aid was there to help people.”
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