Civil rights
Media and commentary related to our work protecting and advancing civil rights. This includes police accountability, justice in youth detention, asylum seeker rights, discrimination, access to justice and Raise the Age.
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Democracy groups call on Government to overhaul broken FOI system in line with inquiry report
Yesterday evening, the Senate’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee released its report into the operation of Commonwealth Freedom of Information (FOI) laws. The Committee’s report paints a damning picture of a highly dysfunctional, under-resourced FOI regime, citing multi-year delays, excessive use of exemptions, problematic interpretations of FOI laws, prohibitive expenses, and cultural issues within the…
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Australians need to better understand the reality of detainees’ lives
In my career as a lawyer and advocate, I have supported detainees whose social justice cases — some of the worst in the country — outline extremely distressing and difficult journeys. One resonant example is Yasir*, who sought protection in Australia in 2013 and has been in detention for 10 years. Like so many, Yasir…
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It’s legal to deny insurance on mental health grounds, but Belle wants that changed
As it stands, insurers can legally deny coverage altogether on mental health grounds, like they did with Belle, or deny coverage for claims resulting from a certain condition. They can also charge higher premiums for people with existing mental health conditions. Lawyer Ellen Tilbury from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre published a report on mental health discrimination…
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2SER: Uncovering misuse of handcuffs in immigration detention
The Commonwealth and its security contractor Serco have settled a case with PIAC client Yasir (named changed to protect client identity) after a three year legal battle in the Federal Court of Australia. PIAC has previously discussed the case on 2SER. Yasir is happy with the settlement of his case, but PIAC believes there may be…
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Unprincipled migration amendments introduce ‘indefinite surveillance’ and unjust sentences
New migration amendments introduce restrictive requirements on people who have been unlawfully detained.
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Asylum seeker settles handcuff case against Serco, govt
An asylum seeker who was forced to wear handcuffs to medical appointments while being held in Australian immigration detention has settled a claim against the federal government and security firm Serco. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) which represented the asylum seeker in his three-year legal battle in Federal Court, said the matter was recently…
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Commonwealth settles case with asylum seeker who missed medical appointments because of handcuff PTSD
We secured a settlement for our client Yasir* who alleges he was forced to wear handcuffs to access healthcare.
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PIAC seeks information for potential handcuffing class action
We’re seeking information from people who have been handcuffed while being held in Australian onshore immigration detention.
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Asylum seeker settles handcuffing case against the Commonwealth
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) has represented Yasir* in a protracted, 3-year battle against the Commonwealth and its security contractor, Serco, over his treatment in Australian immigration detention.The matter was recently settled on confidential terms. ‘I feel happy and sad now. Sad about the bad things that happened to me and how that made my health worse and still impacts my life but happy because I can…
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Survey: Handcuff use in Australian onshore immigration detention CLOSED
This survey has now closed. If you have additional information or have been affected by this issue, please contact us here. If you participated in the survey, we will be in contact.