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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NSW unlikely to withdraw further Covid fines despite court ruling many were unlawful
The New South Wales government is signalling it will not withdraw any additional Covid fines despite a supreme court decision finding a huge volume of pandemic-related infringements were unlawful. The state government was last year forced to withdraw more than 33,000 Covid fines after a NSW supreme court test case, lodged by Redfern Legal Centre…
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Australia urged to strengthen response on audio description
Disability advocates are urging the Australian Government to commit to changing the law to require audio description be provided on Australian television, in line with a UN Committee recommendation. The Government commits to providing ongoing support to increase audio-described content on the ABC and SBS, and intends to work with commercial free-to-air broadcasters and subscription…
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NSW legal services call for investigation after reports police were directed to take ‘strong approach’ to enforcing Covid fines
Two community legal services have lodged a formal complaint against NSW police over its “heavy-handed” enforcement of Covid fines during the pandemic. The Redfern Legal Centre and Public Interest Advocacy Centre said on Monday they had asked the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission to investigate the way police enforced Covid fines, following an internal video published…
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Police challenged on COVID fines
Two legal groups have complained to the law enforcement watchdog about the actions of NSW Police during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the issuing of almost 50,000 fines in three months after then-commissioner Mick Fuller told officers they would not be punished if they incorrectly penalised people. In a complaint last week to the Law Enforcement…
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Complaint lodged against NSW Police over ‘excessive’ COVID fines
Watchdog urged to investigate former police chief and entire force over COVID fines. Officers accused of using ‘unreasonable and oppressive’ tactics. Areas with large First Nations populations and high disadvantage were hit with more fines A complaint has been lodged against former NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller and NSW Police over their heavy-handed approach to…
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Over-representation of Aboriginal people in New South Wales prisons “highest on record”
The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) (ALS) and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) have released new data showing a “growing crisis of the imprisonment of Aboriginal people” in New South Wales which the government “cannot ignore”. New figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) released on Tuesday show the proportion of…
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Proportion of Aboriginal inmates in NSW hit a record 29.7% in February
The proportion of Aboriginal people in prisons across New South Wales has reached a record high, prompting an urgent call from key groups for governments to end the “overpolicing” of Indigenous communities. The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Bocsar) figures revealed Aboriginal people accounted for a record 29.7% of the state’s adult prison…
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‘Growing crisis’: Record level of Aboriginal people in NSW prisons, new data reveals
The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), are ramping up their calls for reform to the way Aboriginal people are policed, in light of new figures released by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) showing the proportion of Aboriginal people in prison is the highest on record. …
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NSW prisons more unequal than ever with record level of Aboriginal people behind bars
The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) (ALS) and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) say the Government cannot ignore the growing crisis of the imprisonment of Aboriginal people in NSW. New figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) show the proportion of Aboriginal people in prison is the highest on record. The…
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Recent changes to federal discrimination powers and complaint processes
In December 2022, changes were made to how the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) can handle complaints and tackle discrimination, and to how discrimination claims can be run in the federal courts. The changes to the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth) (AHRC Act) implement recommendations of the Respect@Work: Sexual Harassment National Inquiry…