Policing and detention
Media and commentary related to our work to provide critical oversight of NSW Police, prisons and youth detention centres, to protect human rights and ensure fair and lawful treatment.
-
2SER: Police oversight body calls for an overhaul of ‘consorting laws’
A report from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission shows that consorting laws are being used to unfairly target Aboriginal people in NSW. And, they continue to be used on children under 18. The report recommends making changes, to ensure the laws are properly targeted to the serious crimes they were designed for. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) has welcomed…
-
Call to exclude kids from law banning criminal contact
A law meant for disrupting serious crime is disproportionately targeting Indigenous people and continues to be used on children, legal groups say. The Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the NSW Bar Association on Wednesday called on the state parliament to narrow the scope of the consorting law, and ban its…
-
Police oversight body calls for overhaul of consorting laws
Consorting laws are being misused and disproportionately target Aboriginal people.
-
Paul Ramsay Foundation boosts the Raise the Age campaign
The NSW campaign to Raise the Age has received a significant boost, thanks to a generous commitment of campaigning and financial support from the Paul Ramsay Foundation. Raise the Age is a national campaign to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to at least 14 years of age. The NSW campaign involves a…
-
Australia fails to meet anti-torture deadline
Australia has failed to meet a crucial deadline for implementing its international anti-torture treaty obligations, despite receiving an extended timeframe for compliance to January 2023. Australia ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) in December 2017. But we are yet to take essential…
-
UN urges Australia to improve treatment of people in detention
A report from the UN Committee Against Torture urges government action to improve Australia’s treatment of people in police custody, prisons, youth detention centres and immigration detention. The report follows a UN subcommittee visit to review places of detention in Australia, which was dramatically suspended in October when authorities in NSW and Queensland refused to…
-
Legal Centres call for all COVID fines to be cancelled, existing fines regime to be reviewed
The NSW Government’s ‘law and order’ response to the pandemic created significant fines debt and damaged community-police relations in some of the most disadvantaged parts of the state, according to a new UNSW Law School report. Click here: UNSW Report The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), Redfern Legal Centre and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre…
-
Segregations exceeding 24 hours at Juvenile Justice centres on the rise.
New data shows segregations exceeding 24 hours in New South Wales juvenile justice centres have increased over the past year, despite ongoing pressure on authorities to limit the practice. According to the latest NSW Ombudsman’s annual report, the office received 147 segregation notifications in the 12-month reporting period; a rise of 46 per cent compared…
-
2SER interview: Why UN torture inspectors suspended their Australian visit
A UN Subcommittee responsible for the prevention of torture and cruel and degrading treatment recently visited Australia to carry out inspections of places of detention, which include prisons, youth detention centres and immigration detention. Shockingly, the Subcommittee ended its visit early, saying there was lack of cooperation from Australian authorities. The delegation released a statement, saying…
-
Joint statement of concern regarding suspension of UN Subcommittee on Torture visit to Australia following lack of co-operation in New South Wales and Queensland
We express profound concern that the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) has been forced to take the drastic measure of suspending its visit to Australia due to obstruction encountered while attempting to carrying out its mandate during its visit to Australia under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other…