Content Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised the following includes the names of First Nations people who have passed away. This email also includes distressing content.
The National Justice Project (NJP) acknowledges 26 January as a day to honour the survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures.
Invasion Day is a reminder that racism is not a thing of the past, it continues to shape everyday experiences for First Nations people in workplaces, schools, hospitals and public spaces. It’s also reinforced by the governments’ continued refusal to change ‘Australia Day’, despite the pain, violence and dispossession it represents.
In solidarity with First Peoples, the National Justice Project office will stay open on this day, and many of the team will attend marches and cultural events across the nation.
If we want a future free from racism, we must unite and Call It Out, online, in real life and within the systems that affect us all.
- Read our latest blog to find out more on why January 26 matters, and what it means to stand up against racism today.
As we carry that commitment into 2026, we’ll be sharing a new series, Justice Journal, exploring the issues, cases and campaigns that drive our fight for justice.
Read more about our latest stories of impact below.
News and Updates
HONOURING | David Dungay Jr with New Annual Scholarship
A new $5,000 annual scholarship has been established in honour of David Dungay Jr to support Aboriginal health professionals working in the NSW criminal justice system. David died in Long Bay Prison Hospital in 2015 after being restrained by six guards. For nearly a decade, his mother Leetona Dungay has fought for accountability within a system that continues to fail Aboriginal people.
REPORTING | Racism targeting First Nations children increase
Following International Day of Education on Saturday 24 January 2026, new data reveals a shocking rise in reports of racist incidents targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. The 2024-25 Call It Out Annual Report shows 26% of reports submitted involved children and young people aged 0–19. This is a 10-point increase from last year.
SPOTLIGHTING | Inquest into death of 10-year-old First Nations boy
An inquest into the death of a 10-year-old boy who was under the care of the WA Department of Communities opened in December at Perth Coroner’s Court. The young boy, who cannot be named, died on 12 April 2024 in Perth while living with a relative. The National Justice Project is representing the child’s parents throughout the inquest process as they seek answers.
MARKING | 10 years of the National Justice Project
We are marking ten years of the National Justice Project with our newly released Impact Report 2015-2025. This reflects a decade of work securing accountability, driving systemic reform and standing alongside people who have been harmed and ignored.
PUBLISHING | Human rights report calls for Alternative First Responders
The newly released Alternative First Responders Human Rights Report exposes where Australia’s emergency response systems are falling short and why community-based alternatives are urgently needed.
HIGHLIGHTING | In the Media
- Police fatal shooting raises mental health questions via Perth Now, Thursday 8 January 2026
- NSW Police fatally shoot another person having a mental health episode via Green Left, Friday 16 January 2026
- Inquest wraps up into death of Perth 10yo boy in Department of care via ABC News, Tuesday 9 December 2025
- Record Indigenous custody deaths prompt renewed push for changes to prisoner healthcare via National Indigenous Times, Friday 12 December 2025
- Rally for truth and accountability 10 years on from the death of David Dungay via National Indigenous Times , Tuesday 16 December 2025
- Inquest searches for answers behind death of 10-year-old Indigenous boy in state via National Indigenous Times, Monday 8 December 2025
SUPPORTING | Social Justice
The National Justice Project is funded by donors committed to the fight for social justice.
As a Public Benevolent Institution, The National Justice Project is 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.