CONTENT WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this email may contain the names and images of First Nations people who are deceased. If you are experiencing distress and are in need of support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 13YARN on 13 92 76 for First Nations readers.
Thursday 20 March is National Close the Gap Day, a significant day across Australia in support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing.
The National Justice Project fights for health equality for First Nations people on this and every day of the year. Our advocacy for culturally-safe healthcare includes representing families at coronial inquests and this month we helped progress justice and systemic change for clients in NSW and Western Australia. Read on for updates about these important cases.
Closing the gap measures have also come under scrutiny with the Senate Select Committee on Measuring Outcomes for First Nations Communities. We joined Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research on a joint submission to the committee as we called for a genuine shift in the settings of targets and priorities as well as their measurement and evaluation. Together we highlighted how harmful data practices cause Indigenous people to be viewed through deficit-based and discriminatory frameworks and present First Nations peoples as the problem. Our submission called for governments to move to a longer-term, generational focus on self-determination and good governance. Read our submission here.
ATTENDING | Hear Me Out Launch
We are excited to be joining the NSW Attorney-General, the Honourable Michael Daley, at the official launch Friday 21 March 2025 of Hear Me Out. Hear Me Out is the first AI-powered complaint platform in Australia and one of the world’s first direct-to-consumer generative AI-powered legal self-help tools. The National Justice Project team will join our partners from UNSW Kaldor Centre and Portable Australia, Macquarie University, K&L Gates, Microsoft and Josef to mark this milestone along with the many law firms who donated their expertise and pro bono support. Work is also underway to expand the platform nationwide with Victoria as the next state to be rolled out.
REPORTING | Inquest for eight children
The National Justice Project represented the children of Martu woman Dannielle Lowe at the Perth inquest into her death in custody earlier this month. The mother-of-eight died prematurely at the age of 41 and we have supported her family in their fight for justice.
REPORTING | Racism report released
More than 200 people joined a webinar to launch the latest annual report from the Call It Out First Nations Racism Register. The report ‘If you don’t think racism exists come take a walk with us’ also explored the impact of the Voice referendum.
RESPONDING | Inquest NSW Health reforms
We welcomed NSW Health’s response to recommendations made by a coronial inquest into the death of Ricky ‘Dougie’ Hampson with state-wide policy changes and updated training. This is an important step towards improving the treatment of First Nations patients.
WELCOMING | New Senior Solicitor
Gamilaroi woman and National Justice Project lawyer Karina Hawtrey stood alongside the family of Dougie Hampson for several years helping in their fight for justice and accountability. We are proud to welcome Karina into her new role as a Senior Solicitor.
HIGHLIGHTING | In the Media
The National Justice Project advocates for our clients in the courts as well as in the news media, especially around issues on human rights, discrimination and justice reform.
Here are some highlights from the past month:
- "Pay up or walk: Quaden just wanted a cab but drivers refused to take him" via The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 February 2025
- "Hope for ‘answers and justice’ as inquest into death of Dannielle Lowe to begin" via National Indigenous Times, 4 March 2025
- "Voice referendum normalised racism towards Indigenous Australians, report finds" The Guardian, 6 March 2025
- "NSW Health supports recommendations from Ricky Hampson inquest" ABC News, 7 March 2025
SUPPORTING | By Workplace giving
The National Justice Project is pleased to have a number of donors supporting us through workplace giving. If you have been thinking about a regular donation we’d love for you to speak to your employer about adding us to a workplace giving program. Many workplaces also match employee donations so you could have double the impact! Every dollar helps us fight for a society that is free from discrimination.
The National Justice Project is funded by people like you committed to the fight for social justice.
Donate Today
The National Justice Project is a Public Benevolent Institution endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) covered by Item 1 of the table in section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. Donations of $2.00 or more are tax deductible.
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National Justice Project (NJP)
Address: PO Box 123, Broadway NSW 2007
Tel: +61 2 9514 4440
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.