Sharing our Experience of Service Delivery
Yesterday members of our Executive management team in Brisbane hosted a delegation from the Legal Aid Foundation Taiwan – including their Secretary-General.
The delegation was on a fact-finding mission to get insight on how we deliver our specialised legal services. Of particular interest were things such as the cultural competency of our staff, our quality controls and Murri Court – (given the Indigenous population in Taiwan).
With the help of an interpreter the meeting proved to be great cross cultural exchange. The delegation was clearly grateful for our time and feedback, which included the provision of casework standards.
As a mark of appreciation the ATSILS team was presented with a special gift, a “Limpidwing Flying Fish” (“sosowowon”) crafted by a father and son team of Indigenous Taiwanese artists.
The amazing piece of artwork heralds from the Tao Indigenous peoples on Orchid Island (Pongso no Tao) – the only marine ethnic group of Taiwan. The flying fish is an important symbol of the Tao indigenous peoples. “The first catch in the open season will only be shared by family members of the fishermen. All of the family members shall eat the first catch”.
Their delegation consisted of:
1. Attorney Mr. Wei-Shyang Chen, Secretary-General, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
2. Mr. Chih-Wei, Tsai, Board Member, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
3. Attorney Ms. Tsai-Yi Chen, Executive Secretary, Taitung Branch, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
4. Mr. Te-Yen Chou, Deputy- Director, Department of Legal Affairs, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
5. Ms. Si-Wei Huang, Deputy- Director, Department of Business & Management, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
6.Ms. Yu-Shan Chang, PHD Candidate, University College, London (translator)
SMART MONEY Forum: Justice Reinvestment and Alternatives to Indigenous Imprisonment
Australia faces a human rights crisis as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rates soar – Indigenous people are now 13 times more likely to go to jail than non-Indigenous persons.
The event was well attended and a great opportunity to bring further attention to these unacceptable statistics and advocate for smarter approaches to justice that can reduce imprisonment, save money and create safer communities for all.
Take action and help #ChangeTheRecord on violence and imprisonment rates today –> http://www.changetherecord.org.au/pledge
BRISBANE: Sharing our Experience of Service Delivery
Yesterday members of our Executive management team in Brisbane hosted a delegation from the Legal Aid Foundation Taiwan – including their Secretary-General.
The delegation was on a fact-finding mission to get insight on how we deliver our specialised legal services. Of particular interest were things such as the cultural competency of our staff, our quality controls and Murri Court – (given the Indigenous population in Taiwan).
With the help of an interpreter the meeting proved to be great cross cultural exchange. The delegation was clearly grateful for our time and feedback, which included the provision of casework standards.
As a mark of appreciation the ATSILS team was presented with a special gift, a “Limpidwing Flying Fish” (“sosowowon”) crafted by a father and son team of Indigenous Taiwanese artists.
The amazing piece of artwork heralds from the Tao Indigenous peoples on Orchid Island (Pongso no Tao) – the only marine ethnic group of Taiwan. The flying fish is an important symbol of the Tao indigenous peoples. “The first catch in the open season will only be shared by family members of the fishermen. All of the family members shall eat the first catch”.
Their delegation consisted of:
1. Attorney Mr. Wei-Shyang Chen, Secretary-General, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
2. Mr. Chih-Wei, Tsai, Board Member, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
3. Attorney Ms. Tsai-Yi Chen, Executive Secretary, Taitung Branch, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
4. Mr. Te-Yen Chou, Deputy- Director, Department of Legal Affairs, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
5. Ms. Si-Wei Huang, Deputy- Director, Department of Business & Management, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
6.Ms. Yu-Shan Chang, PHD Candidate, University College, London (translator)
Sharing our Experience of Service Delivery
Yesterday members of our Executive management team in Brisbane hosted a delegation from the Legal Aid Foundation Taiwan – including their Secretary-General.
The delegation was on a fact-finding mission to get insight on how we deliver our specialised legal services. Of particular interest were things such as the cultural competency of our staff, our quality controls and Murri Court – (given the Indigenous population in Taiwan).
With the help of an interpreter the meeting proved to be great cross cultural exchange. The delegation was clearly grateful for our time and feedback, which included the provision of casework standards.
As a mark of appreciation the ATSILS team was presented with a special gift, a “Limpidwing Flying Fish” (“sosowowon”) crafted by a father and son team of Indigenous Taiwanese artists.
The amazing piece of artwork heralds from the Tao Indigenous peoples on Orchid Island (Pongso no Tao) – the only marine ethnic group of Taiwan. The flying fish is an important symbol of the Tao indigenous peoples. “The first catch in the open season will only be shared by family members of the fishermen. All of the family members shall eat the first catch”.
Their delegation consisted of:
1. Attorney Mr. Wei-Shyang Chen, Secretary-General, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
2. Mr. Chih-Wei, Tsai, Board Member, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
3. Attorney Ms. Tsai-Yi Chen, Executive Secretary, Taitung Branch, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
4. Mr. Te-Yen Chou, Deputy- Director, Department of Legal Affairs, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
5. Ms. Si-Wei Huang, Deputy- Director, Department of Business & Management, Legal Aid Foundation, Taiwan
6.Ms. Yu-Shan Chang, PHD Candidate, University College, London (translator)
MEDIA RELEASE: Change The Record Coalition’s response to Prime Minister Turnbull’s Domestic Violence package
The Change the Record Coalition today welcomed Prime Minister Turnbull’s announcement of $100 million of funding targeted at addressing family and domestic violence, but expressed disappointment that the package fails to prioritise essential legal services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s safety.
View Media Release
A Human Rights Act for Queensland – Parliamentary Inquiry
Queensland is one step closer to a charter of human rights, with the Palaszczuk Government committing to holding a parliamentary inquiry into how the state could adopt its own bill of rights.
“We need to invest in the proactive rather than the reactive and to put resources on the ground.” Mr Duffy said.
At the launch on Monday Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad confirmed the great news that the government would move a motion to kick off the inquiry.
The move was welcomed by the Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, which said Queenslanders basic rights remained unprotected under existing legislation.
Queensland is the only state in Australia with a one-house parliament which means there is a higher risk of rights breaches by the government and therefore more work to do in terms of rights protections.
Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/parliamentary-inquiry-in-to-human-rights-act-for-queensland-20150915-gjng8k.html#ixzz3lxZrmI00
Support the #humanrights4qld campaign: http://www.humanrights4qld.com.au
Join the conversation on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humanrights4qld
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hr4qld
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – Anniversary
The 13 of September marks the anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which affirms the minimum standards for the survival, dignity, security and well-being of Indigenous peoples worldwide and enshrines Indigenous peoples’ right to be different.
The Declaration was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in September 2007. This was the culmination of more than 20 years of negotiation between the Indigenous peoples and governments of the world. The Australian Government announced its support for the Declaration in 2009.
The Declaration is particularly significant because Indigenous peoples, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, were involved in its drafting.
“The Declaration is the most comprehensive tool we have available to advance and protect the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I use the Declaration as my guide as Social Justice Commissioner. It is the foundation upon which my agenda has been built.”
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Mick Gooda
Check these great resources for the Declaration from the Australian Human Rights Commission:
https://declaration.humanrights.gov.au/
#HumanRights #Indigenous
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day
No alcohol during pregnancy #FASDAwarenessDay
Today is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day. The day puts a spotlight on the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy and the plight of families and individuals living with FASD. FASD is a disorder caused by maternal consumption of alcohol prior to a child’s birth. This spectrum of disorders can leave affected individuals with wide ranging and varied behavioural and cognitive problems that often see them end up in the justice system rather than the health system.
FASD is a significant issue effecting many families in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. A recent House of Representatives Standing committee report says Indigenous children fall through cracks of education system and later land in prison as FASD is misdiagnosed or not treated.
The report recommended all governments work to adopt a justice reinvestment strategy in predominantly Indigenous communities as a more effective way to keep people out of prison and reduce inter-generational alcohol abuse.
View more:
http://www.theguardian.com/…/foetal-alcohol-syndrome-should…
Online FASD Resources:
For more information on FASD check out this web resource by the Australian Indigenous Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre
http://www.aodknowledgecentre.net.au/aodkc/alcohol/fasd
For more information on FASD or FASD Awareness Day, please visit:
http://www.nofasd.org.au/get-involved/international-fasd-awareness-day
Change the Record:
Join the #ChangeTheRecord campaign to call on Governments to adopt justice reinvestment strategies that tackle the root causes of imprisonment –www.changetherecord.org.au/pledge
JOB VACANCIES: ATSILS is Hiring!
As at 7th September 2015 three new vacancies have been posted to our Job Vacancies page.
A further range of positions will be posted in the next 48 hours to include further Legal Practitioner and Para/Legal-Junior Legal Practitioner roles in Family & Civil Law in Brisbane, Maroochydore, Cairns, Toowoomba, and Charleville. To support these new roles, an additional administrative role will be created in Toowoomba. In Mackay another new role in all jurisdictions (Family, Civil and Criminal laws) will be advertised for someone with ideally two years post-admission experience. Our Cairns role is for an experienced practitioner with confidence to circuit to communities and provide a significant array of Family law services.
Visit our Job Vacancies page for all the details
ATSILS Supports A Human Rights Act for Queensland
ATSILS CEO Shane Duffy spoke to The Guardian Australian about the importance of a Bill of Rights for Queensland and the significance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“What it does is provide an opportunity to put a litmus test over any proposed bill that comes before parliament that disproportionately or adversely impacts on Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people,” he told Guardian Australia.
Mr Duffy pointed to changes by the former Newman government to juvenile justice legislation, removal of detention as a punishment of last resort, and bail laws, as examples of such laws. He said a human rights act would need to be one with “a little bit of bite”.
Now that the Labor Party has confirmed its commitment to the introduction of a Human Rights Act the time is right to work together to convince the Queensland Government to Act Now!
View full article:
Support the campaign for a Human Rights Act for Queensland
https://www.facebook.com/humanrights4qld
Instragram @humanrights4qld
#humanrights4qld
Strengthening Family Law Partnerships in North Queensland
Congratulations to Juergen Kaehne who was recently elected as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Law Pathways Network in North Queensland.
Juergen is one of ATSILS specialist Family Law Solicitors based in Cairns and he has been a valued member of our legal team for over 6 years.
As Co-Chair of the network Juergen will be working with key providers in the Family Law system, including the Federal Circuit Court, to build stronger relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services and other community agencies servicing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people.
Commenting on his appointment Juergen said “The Federal Circuit Court judge in Cairns is a strong supporter of enhanced representation for Indigenous people, and I am privileged to Co-Chair the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Law Pathways Network.”
“I love practicing family law because the legal process is such that it helps to provide a better future for children; who are, after all, innocent parties in parental disputes.”
Juergen’s appointment is testament to his strong commitment to the delivery of innovative, highly professional legal services to ensure better outcomes for clients.
The Network is being piloted in the North Queensland region including Cape York and the Torres Strait before being rolled out across the state on a progressive basis.
More information on ATSILS Family Law Practice
Need legal assistance with Family Law matters? Contact us