Today National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS), the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) has welcomed Labor’s commitment to addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates and experiences of violence.
In a speech delivered at the University of Melbourne Law School, Labor Leader Mr Shorten, vowed to put an end to the “grievous national shame” of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment and experiences of violence. The speech included a number of specific commitments including establishing justice targets through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) under a Labor government.
NATSILS Chairperson Shane Duffy said, “A commitment to targets for addressing the “justice gap” means that governments will be accountable for their performance in this area. We simply must work together in a co-ordinated way to address this critical issue.”
“As Chairperson of NATSILS we were particularly pleased to hear Mr Shorten commit to the appropriate resourcing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled legal services, including ATSILS and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS). These legal services are crucial to ensuring that vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly women and children escaping family violence, are able to receive access to justice, Mr Duffy said.
“We also welcome Mr Shorten’s acknowledgement of the role that disability plays in the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system. Recent research shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with mental illnesses and cognitive impairments experience a criminal, rather than a therapeutic response to their disabilities.”
“NATSILS will continue to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, organisations and all levels of government to address the crisis of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment and experiences of violence. We call on the Australian public to join us in demanding vital change and ask that all levels of government work with us to address this critical issue.”
Media Release:
http://www.natsils.org.au/portals/natsils/NATSILS%20welcomes%20Labor%20commitment%20to%20closing%20the%20justice%20gap%20FINAL.pdf?ver=2015-11-19-131301-867
It’s time for a new approach – Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda explains Justice Reinvestment
Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda explains what Justice Reinvestment is and why it’s a positive solution in addressing the over incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
MEDIA RELEASE: NATSILS welcomes Labor commitment to closing the justice gap
Today National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS), the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) has welcomed Labor’s commitment to addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates and experiences of violence.
In a speech delivered at the University of Melbourne Law School, Labor Leader Mr Shorten, vowed to put an end to the “grievous national shame” of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment and experiences of violence. The speech included a number of specific commitments including establishing justice targets through the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) under a Labor government.
NATSILS Chairperson Shane Duffy said, “A commitment to targets for addressing the “justice gap” means that governments will be accountable for their performance in this area. We simply must work together in a co-ordinated way to address this critical issue.”
“As Chairperson of NATSILS we were particularly pleased to hear Mr Shorten commit to the appropriate resourcing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled legal services, including ATSILS and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS). These legal services are crucial to ensuring that vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly women and children escaping family violence, are able to receive access to justice, Mr Duffy said.
“We also welcome Mr Shorten’s acknowledgement of the role that disability plays in the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal justice system. Recent research shows that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with mental illnesses and cognitive impairments experience a criminal, rather than a therapeutic response to their disabilities.”
“NATSILS will continue to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, organisations and all levels of government to address the crisis of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment and experiences of violence. We call on the Australian public to join us in demanding vital change and ask that all levels of government work with us to address this critical issue.”
Media Release:
http://www.natsils.org.au/portals/natsils/NATSILS%20welcomes%20Labor%20commitment%20to%20closing%20the%20justice%20gap%20FINAL.pdf?ver=2015-11-19-131301-867
MEDIA RELEASE: Momentum for change is building
Countless reports have highlighted that we are at risk of losing another generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to the justice system – but the momentum for change is building. The Change the Record Coalition today welcomed a commitment by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten MP to close the justice gap, and emphasised the need for all levels of government to work together to address this crisis.
In a speech to University of Melbourne Law School, Mr Shorten vowed to tackle the justice gap by investing in solutions driven by local communities. Mr Shorten said that the first meeting of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) under a Labor Government would work with state and local governments, law enforcement agencies, corrections, community services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and representative bodies to develop justice targets
Co-Chair Shane Duffy said, “We have long-argued that all governments working together through COAG to develop justice targets is critical to achieving change in this area, and so we welcome Labor’s commitment. Measurable targets aimed at reducing imprisonment rates, and the experience of violence, would provide an important accountability mechanism and drive co-ordinated action to address these issues.”
“Community-controlled organisations, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) and Family Violence Prevention Legal Services (FVPLS), play a unique and critical role in supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait families and communities in a culturally safe environment. Mr Shorten’s acknowledgment of this is important, as is his commitment to ensure these services are adequately funded into the future” said Mr Duffy.
Read Full Media Release:
https://changetherecord.org.au/blog/news/momentum-for-change-is-building
MEDIA RELEASE: Australia Human Rights Review – Time to Change the Record
ATSILS CEO, Shane Duffy said, “First Nations Australians are amongst the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in the country. Currently our people are being imprisoned at around 13 times the rate of non Indigenous Australians and year after year the gap continues to widen. It reached crisis point long ago and remains one of the biggest human rights challenges facing the country.”
Read Full Media Release
https://atsils.org.au/…/mediarelease_ATSILS_UPR_0911201…/
ATSILS CEO speaks to Lateline about mental health and links to justice issues
Watch the full interview here:
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2015/s4344050.htm
Experts call for new approach to Indigenous incarceration
In his role as Co – Chair – National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services & Change The Record Coalition, our CEO Shane Duffy speaks to Australasian Lawyer about the call for a new approach to Indigenous incarceration.
“The policing methodology in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this country has been more about ‘lock them up and throw away the key’. We continuously see governments winning elections based off law and order agendas and incarcerations. What we need to do is look at a new, smarter approach to ensuring we have safer communities across the country.” – Shane Duffy, Co – Chair – National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services & Change The Record Coalition
Read Full Article Here:
http://www.australasianlawyer.com.au/news/experts-call-for-new-approach-to-indigenous-incarceration-207789.aspx#.VjgTOnE73mI.twitter
See Lateline’s full interview with ATSILS CEO Shane Duffy at the link below.
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2015/s4344050.htm
These are the smarter solutions we are campaigning for:
https://changetherecord.org.au/solutions
Pledge your support to #ChangeTheRecord on violence and imprisonment rates today –> http://www.changetherecord.org.au/pledge
Building capacity in our Family Law Practice
We welcome Lorraine Blanco (Cairns) and Juliet Walker (Brisbane) to the ATSILS Family Law team.
We are thrilled to have Lorraine Blanco (nee Namok) on board as our first Torres Strait Islander woman lawyer. Lorraine will be heading north to our Cairns office after enjoying two weeks induction in Brisbane working closely with Jennifer Ekanayake and the Family Law team. In December she is looking to undertake a circuit up to Cooktown, Wudjal Wudjal and Hopevale which will be a celebration and a form of welcome to country for her. Lorraine is a Moa Island women and has had extensive experience practicing with Legal Aid and also enjoyed significant work in the area of native title.
Juliet Walker is our newest Paralegal (Junior Legal Practitioner) in Brisbane and we congratulate her on being admitted as a solicitor just this week. Juliet completed her Arts/Law degree at UQ and she joins Jennifer and the team in Brisbane after gaining valuable experience assisting at Caxton Legal Centre, QPILCH and Kilroy & Callaghan lawyers.
From all the team welcome aboard!
Photo (Left to Right):
Jennifer, Juliet, Lorraine, Lisa and Colette.
ATSILS in North West Queensland this week
Today the team met with Judy Ontronen – Manager of the Cloncurry Justice Association, an important organization that supports and empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims and offenders at all stages of the legal process. It was a productive meeting focusing on strengthening relationships around community safety and crime prevention initiatives.
The team said it was a great pleasure to meet Judy and her staff. Her enthusiasm and dedication were heart warming and she is the type of person who is the heart and soul of smaller country towns.
Quick Thinking and First Aid Training Combine to Save a Young Lady’s Life: Well Done Darryl McCarthy
We would like to commend the efforts of Darryl McCarthy, our Court Support Officer out in Cunnamulla. Darryl recently had to go beyond the normal call of duty to intervene in a critical situation to save a life.
Darryl was in his office printing paper work for a client when she suddenly collapsed. “I called her in and just as I handed her the pen her eyes rolled back and she nearly fell through the window,” Darry said. “At first I thought she was joking but we fell to the ground together, by the time I got to my hands and knees she had stopped breathing. I checked her pulse but there was nothing.”
Darryl responded quickly putting his first-aid training into action, beginning CPR on the lady and directing her family to call an ambulance. He persisted with CPR until the ambulance arrived and her vital signs returned. She was transferred to a hospital in Brisbane but is now at home recovering well. The young lady and her family were of course very appreciative of Darryl’s efforts.
Darryl said the first aid training he had undertaken as part of his job requirements at ATSILS made all the difference and was the main reason the situation ended well. “It provided me with the skills and confidence to act.” Darryl was happy to speak about his actions in the hope that it would give others the confidence to put their training into action and be part of a rescue if ever needed. Although understandably shaken up about the whole incident, Darryl is just happy that this young client is ok.
From all the team at ATSILS, fantastic job Darryl!
CONGRATULATIONS to C’Zarke Maza Winner of the 2015 Trevor Christian Award
C’Zarke is the Regional Manager of our Thursday Island office and a fitting recipient of the NATSILS “Trevor Christian Award” presented to individuals who have made an exceptional commitment to the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
C’Zarke is a descendant of the Meriam people of Murray Island in the Torres Strait and Yidinjdji people from the coast of Cairns. He has committed most of his career towards championing the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and has displayed a relentless drive in advocating for justice and equality for Australia’s First people. A most committed legal practitioner, C’Zarke works tirelessly to address the over-representation of First Nations Australians in the criminal justices system through the provision of high quality legal representation.
In 2000 he was awarded the Bundjalung Prize for his invaluable contribution to the Bundjalung Nation.
Congratulation C’Zarke you are a highly respected and valued member of the community and we are fortunate to have you as part of the ATSILS team!