Emma Bastable

Solicitor, Strategic Litigation

Emma has been a Solicitor at the Justice and Equity Centre since September 2019. Emma is a Gamilaraay woman living on Gadigal country in Eora (Sydney).

Emma works within our Police Accountability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Justice teams. She works on our strategy (developed in partnership with the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT) to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities in the NSW child protection system. Emma is also involved in the NSW campaign to raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14.

Emma has worked at the Australian Law Reform Commission as a policy officer on the ‘Pathways to Justice Inquiry’ which focused on changes needed to reduce the continuing high rates of incarceration of First Nations people. 

Emma previously worked as the Indigenous Research Cadet at the Law Faculty of the University of New South Wales, working on reports including ‘Policing Young People in NSW: A study of the Suspect Targeting Management Plan’ by the Youth Justice Coalition NSW.

Emma has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales, and was among the first 100 Indigenous Law Graduates at the University.