Please direct all media enquiries to Alyssa Robinson on 0427 346 017 or [email protected]
Aboriginal Legal Service bitterly disappointed by moves to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12; urges NSW Parliament to raise the age to at least 14
MEDIA RELEASE Monday 15 November 2021 The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited (ALS) is bitterly disappointed by a move by Australia’s attorneys-general to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 instead of 14. A formal announcement from state attorneys-general is expected today or tomorrow after an agreement to ‘support developing a proposal’ was made on Friday. The ALS rejects this...
READ MOREShoebridge Bill highlights need for action to raise the age
MEDIA RELEASE Joint release with PIAC and Just Reinvest NSW Monday 11 November 2021 An alliance of community, legal, and First Nations justice organisations has welcomed the Children (Criminal Proceedings) Amendment (Age of Criminal Responsibility) Bill 2021, introduced to NSW Parliament this morning by David Shoebridge MLC. This Bill would raise the age of criminal responsibility in NSW to 14, creating...
READ MOREAboriginal peaks condemn NSW Government’s failure to deliver crucial child protection reforms
MEDIA RELEASE Monday 8 November 2021
READ MORENew data shows burden of excessive COVID policing on court system
MEDIA RELEASE Monday 1 November 2021 The Aboriginal Legal Service is warning that excessive fines and charges issued by NSW Police will have an unsustainable impact on courts and slow the state’s recovery from COVID-19. The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) recently reported that NSW Police issued an extraordinary 36,597 COVID-19 public health order breaches in July and August...
READ MOREDeath of Aboriginal man Gordon Copeland to be investigated in coronial inquiry
MEDIA RELEASE Tuesday 12 October 2021 The Aboriginal Legal Service is preparing to represent the family of Gomeroi man Gordon Copeland in a coronial inquest after his body was identified yesterday. Gordon, 22, was last seen alive in the Gwydir River near Moree after a police incident in the early hours of 10 July. His family say he was a passenger...
READ MORE‘We cannot fine our way out of the pandemic’: Legal profession calls on NSW Premier to revoke unlawful COVID-19 fines
MEDIA RELEASE Thursday 16 September 2021 Over 100 prominent members of the legal, academic and political profession have endorsed an open letter sent to the NSW Premier, calling on the NSW Government to revoke wrongly issued COVID-19 fines. The letter is a response to concerns among the legal fraternity that COVID-19 fines have been incorrectly issued by police to people undertaking lawful...
READ MOREPolice must exercise discretion to avoid further COVID harm to Aboriginal communities
MEDIA RELEASE Tuesday 24 August 2021, 3:45 pm The Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT (ALS) has issued an urgent demand for NSW Police to use discretion in applying public health orders, warning that excessive fines and charges will only cause further harm to communities. The ALS has received multiple calls from Aboriginal people fined and charged for breaching the public health orders...
READ MOREAboriginal Legal Service condemns Police Commissioner’s carte blanche for officers to “get it wrong”
MEDIA RELEASE Friday 20 August 2021, 1:30 pm The Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT (ALS) is deeply concerned by the NSW Police Commissioner’s pledge to not hold officers to account for wrongly applying public health orders. The ALS has previously cautioned against NSW Police using COVID-19 restrictions as an excuse to target Aboriginal people. “When the message from the top is that...
READ MORE‘Operation Stay Home’ must not be an excuse to target Aboriginal people
MEDIA RELEASE Monday 16 August 2021, 1:00 pm As NSW Police commence ‘Operation Stay Home’, the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT has raised concerns about over-policing of Aboriginal communities and urged Aboriginal people to seek assistance in dealing with infringement notices. During last year’s COVID lockdown, police handed out the most fines in suburbs with a high Aboriginal population. People living in...
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