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This has been a busy time for advocates like us in the fight for justice.
Late August the National Children's Commissioner's report on transforming child justice was released and we were proud to contribute to this report. The National Justice Project has also been asked to make a submission to the newly announced Inquiry into Australia's youth justice and incarceration system. We also partnered with Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research on a joint submission on the Truth and Justice Commission Bill to establish a Truth-Telling Commission.
This has also been a particularly exciting month with the National Justice Project picking up a number of awards for our ground-breaking AI-powered tool to help people find the right complaint pathways for their grievances. We can't wait to share more with you next month as this innovative platform has already been recognised with the 2024 Lawtech Award for Innovation in Legal IT and is now a finalist for the Momentum Media Australian AI Awards in the AI Innovator Legal Services category. All before being officially launched!
- Read more below and visit justice.org.au/news to stay up to date.
WELCOMING | Inquiry to finally put youth justice on national agenda
The National Justice Project has joined a chorus of advocates in welcoming the establishment of a Senate Inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system. We have been invited to make a submission that will focus on tackling injustices against young people in Australian prisons, especially those suffered in our incarceration system by First Nations People.
ENDORSING | Kids should be in primary school classrooms not cells
Gamilaroi woman and National Justice Project solicitor Karina Hawtrey explains in Indigenous X how the record of our nation’s youth detention centres, "a nice way of saying prisons for kids", speaks for itself. She is horrified by the prospect of locking up children as young as 10 and that Australia continues to put the lives of children at risk.
JOINING | HWL Ebsworth data breach Class Action
The list of National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants impacted by the HWL Ebsworth ransomware hack last year continues to grow. The Australian Information Commissioner is investigating a complaint we have filed on behalf of 12 NDIS participants.
DEVELOPING | National campaign kicks off for alternative first responders
We have met with community stakeholders to start developing a national campaign for alternative first responders instead of police attending to people in a health or social crisis. Our campaign will acknowledge the families, communities and kinship already on the frontlines trying to support the health and social needs of their loved ones.
SHARING | In The Media
- "Landmark settlements for children detained in Nauru" via Australian Associated Press
- "Serco must be punished for ‘oppressive’ treatment of prisoners at Australia’s largest jail, legal experts" say via The Guardian
- "NT's youth crime crackdown 'locking up a generation" via Australian Associated Press
- "Putting a timely spotlight on justice and health concerns" via Croakey Health Media
SUPPORTING | The fight for freedom
September marked the anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Adopted on 13 September 2007, it holds equality and freedom from discrimination as a foundational right.
The National Justice Project fights for equality and against discrimination of First Nations people every day. Help us continue this fight by supporting our work today. We don't accept government funding so we can hold them to account and that's why the support of people like you is vital to ensure our independence.
If you are able, please consider supporting this work as a once off, or monthly donation and together we can secure truth, justice and accountability.
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National Justice Project (NJP)
Address: 15 Broadway CB01.17, Building 1, University of Technology Sydney, Gadigal Country, Broadway NSW 2007
We acknowledge that we live and work on the lands of First Nations Peoples, and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. Our Sydney office is located on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, whose sovereignty was never ceded. This land always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.