Advice obtained from Senior Counsel by the Justice and Equity Centre makes clear that the Commonwealth has the Constitutional power to act on youth justice reform.
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE: Scrap SA’s Street Gangs Bill – rushed, baseless and dangerous
NATSILS and Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) are concerned that the Street Gangs Bill, which is expected to be debated in South Australia’s Parliament this week will criminalise children for life, drive more children into prison, and ultimately make communities less safe.
NATSILS & ALRM JOINT MEDIA RELEASE: SA youth legislation is meant for ‘bikie gangs,’ will not prevent crime and will harm children
New legislation proposed in South Australia will have dire consequences for communities and will put more children through the criminal justice system.
NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: NT Government’s horrific new plans to throw more children in prison and increase use of cruel spit hoods
If passed, a new bill to be introduced in the Northern Territory Parliament would see more children locked up in prison, and give prison guards more power to use force and dangerous tactics against them.
NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: SA Premier – Handing out NAIDOC awards with one hand and writing laws to lock up First Nations children with the other
Melissa Clarke, General Manager of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS), says the Premier has joined the race to the bottom in his approach to youth justice.
NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: NATSILS calls on PM Albanese to act on emergency justice
With more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in prison than ever before, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services is calling on the Prime Minister to take a leadership role to transform the justice system.
NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: National trend of policies to lock up kids will destroy lives and increase crime
A frightening national trend of governments deciding to lock up children will destroy lives and make communities more dangerous.
NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: Federal Budget ignores repeated, urgent calls for critical funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services
The 2025-26 Federal Budget ignores repeated, urgent calls for critical funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, undermining access to justice and perpetuating inequality.
NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: Australian children under threat as dangerous laws pass in Queensland
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services have condemned the passage of Queensland’s ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws, which will backfire and make communities more dangerous.
NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: New Queensland laws guarantee permanent harm to our children and more dangerous communities
The dangerous laws introduced in Queensland Parliament last week ignore all evidence about what works to make communities safer and reduce crime.