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 Police Targeting First Nations Kids With System Of ‘Pro-Active’ Monitoring
Lead solicitor for the Police Accountability Team at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), Grace Gooley told Junkee that the current breakdown between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth on the STMP was “very, very concerning”.
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NSW police accused of ‘oppressive’ tactics against subjects on secretive blacklist
“We’ve known for decades that exposing children to repeated, invasive interactions with police is harmful,” PIAC’s principal solicitor Camilla Pandolfini said. “We need to be diverting young people from the criminal justice system if we want better outcomes, not increasing their interaction with it.”
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2SER interview: Suspect Targeting Management Plan (or STMP)
Suspect Targeting Management Plan (or STMP) is a ‘pro-active policing’ policy used to target individuals for intensive attention including personal searches and home visits, at all hours of the day. First Nations people are grossly overrepresented in the STMP cohort. There has been so much concern about the STMP – particularly it’s impact on children.…
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NSW Police documents expose serious problems with secretive NSW policing plan
Documents obtained by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre have exposed new information about the operation of the NSW Police’s Suspect Targeting Management Plan (STMP) and lay bare a flawed approach that is open to abuse and undermines public confidence in policing. The STMP is a secretive policy and practice used by police to target individuals…
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Life Insurers commit to improve processes for consumers with experience of mental ill-health
The new Life Insurance Code of Practice, produced by the Financial Services Council (FSC), will increase protections for people with a current or past mental health condition. ‘Life insurance products provide an important way for people to protect their future financial security, but they are often more difficult to access for people who experience mental…
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Medevac’d refugee finally receives treatment after 870 days detained in hotels
Following advocacy by PIAC, a refugee with a painful health condition has finally received treatment after an almost three-year ordeal. Their case highlights the Government’s failure to provide essential healthcare for people in Australian immigration detention. Zahid Hussain, who was held in the Australian immigration detention system for eight years after fleeing Pakistan, has a…
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We should all be able to fly, by Heike Fabig
PIAC represented Heike Fabig in a disability discrimination complaint against Jetstar.
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Disability discrimination case highlights challenges faced by airline customers travelling with electric wheelchairs
A legal claim against Jetstar relating to the accessibility of airline travel for customers who use electric wheelchairs has recently resolved in the Federal Court. Bodhi Boele relies on his customised electric wheelchair for independence and safety. When flying with Jetstar in 2019, Bodhi communicated his need to remain in his electric wheelchair up until…
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2SER interview: reforming the coronial jurisdiction
This week, Public Interest Advocacy Centre CEO Jonathon Hunyor joined to discuss the NSW Parliamentary Committee’s first real review of the Coronial Jurisdiction since 1975, A report followed calling for a major overhaul.
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2SER interview: iVote scrapped by Electoral Commission
Last month, the New South Wales Electoral Commission announced that the iVote online voting platform, which was introduced by the Government in 2021, will be discontinued for the 2023 State election. iVote provided people who have trouble getting to a polling booth with a way of voting from home. It was a game-changer for the…