Community Legal Education (CLE) delivered to COOEE Elders
,

Community Legal Education (CLE) delivered to COOEE Elders

ATSILS CLE Cooee EldersLast week, ATSILS lawyers Pree Sharma and Natasha Goddard traveled to Cleveland on Quandamooka Country to deliver a Community Legal Education (CLE) session for COOEE Elders.

The session focused on the essential pillars of future planning:

  • Wills
  • Enduring Powers of Attorney
  • Binding Nominations for Superannuation

It was an engaging session filled with robust discussion. The Elders’ interest and thoughtful questions highlighted the critical importance of proactive legal planning and ensuring one’s affairs are in order.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Aunty Margie and the COOEE Elders team for their invaluable partnership in coordinating this visit.

Education is at the heart of empowerment. ATSILS remains committed to providing accessible legal support to the community. We offer free and confidential services for these matters. If you or your community or organisation would like to learn more, please reach out to our team.

#AccessToJustice #CommunityLegalEducation #ATSILS

Advocating for Change: Our Voice in the Justice System 🏛️⚖️
, ,

Advocating for Change: Our Voice in the Justice System 🏛️⚖️

At ATSILS, our work goes beyond the courtroom. We are always working behind the scenes to challenge and change laws that disadvantage our people. 🖤💛❤️💙💚🤍
Through our Law Reform and Advocacy work, we make sure that the voices of our community are heard. We provide the evidence needed to show how laws negatively affect our people and how they can be made fairer.
We’ve recently finished several important submissions to Government, including:
🛡️ Youth Justice & Monitoring: Fighting for better ways to support our youth rather than just increasing surveillance.
🏛️ First Nations Education: Pushing for cultural safety and better outcomes for our kids in school.
⛓️ Inquiry into Incarceration: Looking at the “why” behind high rates of prison time and how to fix a broken system.
🛑 CCC Review: Holding the watchdogs accountable to ensure transparency for everyone.
This work is all about accountability and making sure the justice system becomes one that is fair, transparent, and culturally safe for all of us. 👊🏽
🔗 Read our full submissions here: https://atsils.org.au/submissions/
New CLE Resource – Expanded Police Wanding Powers (Jack’s Law) ⚖️
, ,

New CLE Resource – Expanded Police Wanding Powers (Jack’s Law) ⚖️

Helping Mob Navigate Expanded Police Wanding Powers (Jack’s Law) ⚖️

Community safety is important, but so are your rights. ✊🏾
With the introduction of Jack’s Law, police powers in Queensland have expanded. Police can now use handheld metal detection wands to search for weapons in certain public areas without a warrant or “reasonable suspicion.”

These expanded powers can have a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. To support community, ATSILS has developed a new legal education resource to help Mob stay informed.

This video is designed to provide clear, practical guidance to community on:
📍 Where these searches happen (like transport hubs & night precincts).
✋ Your rights when being stopped for a scan.
✅ Your responsibilities during the process to keep things calm.

📺Watch the video to learn how to navigate these interactions safely.

Need Legal Support?
If you or someone you know has been charged, or if you believe you have experienced unfair treatment or discrimination during a police wanding process, we encourage you to reach out for professional legal advice.

📞 ATSILS 24/7 Free Call: 1800 012 255

Animation produced by Punchy Studio

Submission 2026 Commonwealth Consultation – First Nations Education Policy
, , ,

Submission 2026 Commonwealth Consultation – First Nations Education Policy

View our latest submission re: First Nations Education Policy Discussion Paper Consultation

Linked here: Submission-2026-Commonwealth-Consultation-First-Nations-Education-Policy-Upload-Version.pdf

For a list of all our latest legal submissions, please visit: Submissions – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (QLD) Ltd

Yarning with Elders about important legal issues on beautiful Quandamooka Country!
, ,

Yarning with Elders about important legal issues on beautiful Quandamooka Country!

ATSILS Community Legal Educations - Wills and ePOAATSILS’ lawyers Pree Sharma and Natasha Goddard recently attended the Deadly Choices Indigenous Senior Games on beautiful Quandamooka Country at Capalaba Warriors Rugby League Football Club.
The team delivered another important community legal education session to a large group of Elders, focusing on the importance of getting your affairs in order. We had a great yarn about:
📜 Wills
✍️ Enduring Powers of Attorney
💼 Binding Nominations for Superannuation
The interest was huge and many Elders provided their details to make follow-up appointments with the ATSILS Team to get their affairs sorted right away.
Remember, ATSILS can provide you with legal assistance in relation to Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and Binding Nominations for Superannuation. It is a free and confidential service!
🙌 Big thanks to Deadly Choices for having us and organising such a wonderful event.

#ATSILS #DeadlyChoices #QuandamookaCountry #CommunityLegalEducation #Elders #WillsAndEstates

Empowering women at the Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre through collaborative community legal education! 🤝✨
, ,

Empowering women at the Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre through collaborative community legal education! 🤝✨

ATSILS CLE TownsvilleThis week, Paige Ryan and Thomas Proctor from our Townsville office visited the Townsville Women’s Correctional Centre (TWCC) to deliver a dedicated legal information session to support women in understanding their rights and responsibilities regarding vital domestic and family violence issues.

This CLE session was part of a larger, 3-week collaborative project whereby TWCC, ATSILS, Transform Lives Program, North Queensland Women’s Legal Service and the First Nations Women’s Legal Services Qld Inc joined forces to offer the women at TWCC these DFV community legal information sessions in alignment and solidarity with the 16 Days of Activism 2025.

What we covered:

🗣️ Coercive Control: Breaking down the new offences that came into effect in QLD in 2025, how to identify these behaviours, and where to get support.
View our quick guide on understanding Coercive Control

📜 Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs): Understanding DVOS , what constitutes a breach, and practical tips on how to navigate them.

View our quick guide on understanding Domestic Violence Orders

The smaller group setting provided a safe and open space for questions and genuine conversation. There was really positive feedback from the women about what they had learned from the session, and what they would like to see more of in future.

 

Community Legal Education on Quandamooka Country!
, ,

Community Legal Education on Quandamooka Country!

Community Legal Education Quandamooka CountryATSILS legal practitioners, Pree Sharma and Enoler Robinson, had a fantastic day attending the Deadly Choices Indigenous Senior Games on beautiful Quandamooka Country at Minjerribah/Stradbroke Island last Friday. 🌴

It was great to attend the event and deliver an important community legal education session to Elders attending the games, focusing on Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney.

The Elders shared many excellent questions, leading to plenty of great yarns about the importance of getting your affairs in order. The best time to do it is right now!

Thank you to the fantastic team at Deadly Choices for organising such a wonderful event. We look forward to attending the next one! 🙏

, ,

Homeless Connect Event

ATSILS was proud to take part in Brisbane City Council’s Homeless Connect event last week.

Homeless Connect is a fantastic initiative that brings together a wide range of community services to support people who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. From health care, housing assistance and clothing to food, haircuts and legal advice — the event offers a safe space where people can access practical support and feel connected to their community.

Pree Sharma represented the ATSILS team and provided legal advice and referrals throughout the day. Many community members doing it tough stopped by our stall to ask for help, and we were glad to assist with their legal needs and connect them with other services where appropriate.

A big thank you to Brisbane City Council for coordinating this important event and to all the organisations who came together to make a real difference.

🌟Burdekin Community Legal Services Expo🌟
,

🌟Burdekin Community Legal Services Expo🌟

Burdekin Community Legal Services ExpoThe inaugural Burdekin Community Legal Services Expo in Ayr marked a significant step in connecting more North Queensland regional and remote communities with vital legal support. Hosted by the Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre (BNC) and initiated by the North Queensland Regional Legal Assistance Forum (NQRLAF), the event brought together legal service providers from the Townsville region and local residents to raise awareness about the range of services available and to improve access to free legal services in surrounding towns. The strong turnout and collaboration highlighted the power of community-driven solutions in bridging the access to justice gap experienced by these communities.

Paige Ryan and Courtney Curnow from our Townsville team were proud to be among the many legal representatives present. In addition to ATSILS attendees from organizations like ADA Law, First Nations Women’s Legal Services Qld Inc, North Queensland Women’s Legal Service, Legal Aid Queensland, Townsville Community Law, and the Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service provided valuable information on a wide range of legal areas, including criminal, family, and civil law.

The event’s success was a testament to the strong support from the BNC staff and the dedicated stakeholders of NQRLAF, all of whom committed their time and energy to making it a positive and informative experience for the community.