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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Canberra Times: Police bin unjust surveillance amid ‘bombshell’ report
Comments from CEO Jonathon Hunyor featured in the Canberra Times.
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Unreasonable, unjust, oppressive and improperly discriminatory: watchdog blasts police on STMP
A scathing report from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) says NSW Police use of the Suspect Targeting Management Plan (STMP) against young people ‘amounted to agency maladministration’ and ‘could possibly meet the threshold for serious misconduct’. It recognises the STMP policy followed by police was unreasonable, unjust, oppressive and improperly discriminatory in its effect…
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NSW Police use of Suspect Targeting Management Plan could meet ‘threshold for serious misconduct’
The Youth Justice Coalition noted on Monday that it has warned for more than five years that the STMP “not only pushes children into increased contact with the criminal justice system, but also that it is unreasonably oppressive, harassing, stigmatising and racially biased”. The coalition includes the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), the Public Interest Advocacy…
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ABC News: Report finds NSW Police suspect lists led to ‘gross over-representation’ of Indigenous people
We worked tirelessly to defeat the STMP, which unlawfully targeted First Nations people.
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NSW Police are not closing the gap
A report by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) into the NSW Police policing and engagement with Aboriginal people and communities is critical of the force’s failure to take seriously its obligations to Close the Gap and reduce Aboriginal over-representation in the criminal justice system. Jonathon Hunyor, CEO of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, joined…
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Closing the Gap targets would lead to ‘competing duties’: NSW Police Commissioner
The report also confirmed Aboriginal people continue to be significantly over-represented in the application of the Suspect Targeting Management Plan (STMP). Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) has called for reform on the “harmful” STMP programme, including stopping its use on children and youths. PIAC argue once a person is placed on the STMP, they are…
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Coalition of experts call on NSW government to raise age of criminal responsibility
Lead campaigner for Raise the Age, Emily Mayo, says criminalising children not only causes them harm, but hurts other children, families and the community. “Services, communities and workers are coming together in NSW to support raising the age because we know the issues, understand the problems and can build the alternatives,” she said. “The NSW…
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NSW Police urged to do more in Closing the Gap
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre said in a statement that the LECC’s report ’emphasises that NSW Police need to do more to reduce the stark overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in contact with the criminal justice system.’ The LECC’s review highlighted Aboriginal people are overrepresented in the use of Suspect Target Management Plans, a tool deployed…
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Renewed push for NSW to raise age of criminal responsibility to 14
More than a dozen organisations have formed a coalition to push the New South Wales government to raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14, arguing the status quo is harming young people and entrenching social issues. … The lead campaigner for Raise the Age NSW, Emily Mayo, said the change…
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Leading Organisations come together to #RaiseTheAge in NSW
A coalition has come together in NSW to call on the NSW Government to raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14. The group includes First Nations organisations, legal and human rights organisations, peak bodies in the non-government sector and unions. They bring a deep understanding of the impact of criminalising children along…