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Latest custody statistics reveal a crisis we should all be furious about
Comment on BOCSAR NSW custody statistics: quarterly update March 2024 Tuesday 14 May 2024 Comments attributable to Nadine Miles, Principal Legal Officer: These figures show that we are failing to close the gap in imprisonment, and this is a crisis we should all be furious about. The mass incarceration of Aboriginal people in NSW is the direct result of government policies which...
READ MORERushed knife laws will harm Aboriginal people
MEDIA RELEASE Monday 13 May 2024 New laws giving police extraordinary powers to search people for no reason in public places will cause harm to Aboriginal people and other marginalised groups. “We know that giving police additional powers to stop and search will lead to Aboriginal people being disproportionately and unfairly targeted, impacting the health and well-being of community members and forcing...
READ MORE36 years after his death, Mark Haines' family to seek answers at inquest
Warning: This page contains the name and image of an Aboriginal teenager who has died. MEDIA ALERT: 36 years after mysterious death, family of Indigenous teen to seek answers at coronial inquest Coronial inquest into death of Mark Anthony Haines to begin at Tamworth Courthouse on Monday 8th April 2024; scheduled to run for two weeks Smoking ceremony and media conference will be...
READ MOREState governments turn away from Closing the Gap and blindly implement failed ‘anti-violence’ strategies that increase violence
JOINT STATEMENT from NATSILS (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services) Thursday 28 March 2024 Responding to the announcement of a new youth curfew in Alice Springs, continued fearmongering and even threats of a new “intervention”, the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) says state governments around Australia have proven themselves incapable of a basic...
READ MORECoronial inquest delivers findings into the death of Brandon Rich
Tuesday 26 March 2024 Warning: This page contains the name and image of an Aboriginal man who died in an interaction with police, including details of how he died. The Deputy State Coroner has delivered findings into the death of Brandon Trevor James Rich, a proud Wiradjuri man who was just 29 when he died in a struggle with police. Magistrate Harriet...
READ MOREAboriginal Legal Service welcomes internal Labor pressure against Premier's efforts to put more children in jail
MEDIA RELEASE Friday 22 March 2024 NSW Labor lawyers and senior leaders, including Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne are furious over the new laws that will put more children in jail. "The Aboriginal Legal Service welcomes the advocacy of Labor lawyers who know these new laws will be a disaster for regional NSW and for the Labor Party. This internal opposition shows...
READ MOREPassage of dangerous bail laws marks start of major campaign
MEDIA RELEASE Friday 22 March 2024 The Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT says that the passage of dangerous youth justice laws through the NSW Parliament last night marks the beginning of a major campaign that will not end until the laws are scrapped. “We are drawing a line in the sand. We cannot accept an Australia that puts children in jail instead of...
READ MOREOpen letter to NSW Premier Minns and the Labor Government from 560 lawyers, community workers and academics
18 March 2024 We the undersigned are legal practitioners, community workers and academics working across the fields of law, criminology, social sciences and Indigenous studies, who hold grave concerns about the proposed laws that will make it harder for young people aged 14-17 to be released on bail for certain offences. We support the Premier’s goal to improve community safety and wellbeing...
READ MOREOpen letter to Premier Chris Minns from 60 organisations: Don’t turn your back on Closing the Gap
17 March 2024 Dear Premier Minns, Don't turn your back on Closing the Gap. Throwing more children in jail will make crime worse in regional communities, not better. Throwing more children in jail will lead to horrific outcomes for communities, families and those children, compounding abuse and trauma. Throwing more children in jail will cause unspeakable damage to Closing The Gap and...
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