July 2021

Given the high incidence of Aboriginal people experiencing deaths in custody despite representing around 3% of the Australian population, as well as the far-reaching impacts of these deaths upon Aboriginal communities, making the Coroner’s Court accessible and appropriate for Aboriginal people should be treated as a matter of urgency.

The Select Committee on the High Level of First Nations People in Custody and Oversight and Review of Deaths in Custody recently recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remain significantly over-represented in the criminal justice system and in custody.

As long as those numbers remain so high and health indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain substantially worse than the general population, we will continue to see deaths in custody.

Click the link below to read our full submission.