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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Police must act to close the gap: LECC report highlights discriminatory policing
A new report from police oversight body the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) emphasises that NSW Police need to do more to reduce the stark overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in contact with the criminal justice system. The NSW Police Force Aboriginal Strategic Direction 2018-2023 monitoring report highlights several areas where NSW Police have failed to…
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2SER: Reforming responses to the mental health crisis
Recent incidents have highlighted the lethal consequences of police responses to mental health crisis, with four fatal incidents in the last four months. Each of the four deaths occurred during interactions with NSW Police. The most recent was the case of Krista Kach, who was tasered and shot with bean bag rounds after police were…
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2SER: the Disability Royal Commission calls for fundamental reform
After four years of often harrowing evidence from people with disability, 32 public hearings and nearly 8,000 submissions, the Disability Royal Commission has released its final report. Its findings are damning. According to the Royal Commission, people with disability ‘experience high rates of violence and abuse,’ and ‘continue to be excluded from participating in many areas…
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‘Bullet to the heart’: Grieving parents call for mental health role in police response
This week a letter signed by more than 80 of the state’s most respected advocates, obtained by the Herald, will ask Premier Chris Minns to urgently fund mental health workers to join police on the frontline. Camilla Pandolfini, Redfern Legal Centre CEO and a signatory to the letter, told the Herald “mental health is a health issue that…
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Legal Academics, experts, and advocates issue an open letter urging the NSW Government to implement mental health policing reforms.
Legal Academics, legal experts, and social justice advocates representing community legal centres, legal services and organisations, law faculties, and advocacy groups have collectively signed an open letter (PDF on Redfern Legal Centre website) calling on the NSW Government to fund trained mental health experts as first responders to mental health crises. Among the 85-plus signatories…
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2SER: Reforming Australia’s Freedom of Information laws
Australia’s Freedom of Information (FOI) system is failing – with people who make FOI requests facing long delays and heavily redacted documents. FOI laws give Australians the right to access information held by government and government agencies, and are vital for holding authorities to account. But the system is facing criticism. The PIAC has made…
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Freedom of information win exposes need for reform
We supported a client to get access to information held by the government, using freedom of information processes.
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Joint letter to Queensland Government regarding suspension of Human Rights Act
PIAC joined Change The Record and more than 180 human rights and legal experts, social justice organisations and First Nations community groups in signing an open letter condemning the Queensland government for overriding the state’s Human Rights Act in order to detain children in state police watch houses indefinitely. Dear Premier Palaszczuk and Minister Ryan,…
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Jailbaby urges justice reform
PIAC was thrilled to host a special performance of Jailbaby and conversation with award-winning playwright Suzie Miller at Griffin Theatre Company recently. Jailbaby tells the story of two young Australian men, Seth and AJ, treated unequally by the institutions they come up against because of their different backgrounds . The play details how class and…
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2SER: NSW religious vilification bill under scrutiny
NSW Attorney General Michael Daley introduced the Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Vilification) Bill 2023 to NSW Parliament last month. The Bill would prohibit vilification on the basis of religious belief or affiliation or religious activity. In a media release, PIAC expressed its concern the outlined reforms are too broad and inconsistent with existing laws. Alastair Lawrie,…