Media Releases
13/11/2021
NATSILS Media Release: No more empty commitments – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids’ lives matter
NATSILS is outraged at the announcement that the Meeting of Attorneys General (MAG) “support developing a proposal to increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 including with regard to any carve outs, timing and discussion of implementation supports.”
11/11/2021
NATSILS Media Release: Two deaths in three days: Gomeroi man shot dead by police, following the death of Aboriginal man in custody
We are deeply upset, shocked and angered to learn that a 45 year-old Gomeroi man was shot dead by police in Sydney on Tuesday morning.
19/08/2021
NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: Nearly a year and a half on and little has been done to protect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from COVID-19
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (NATSILS) strongly opposes the over-policing, criminalisation and lack of care shown toward Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
09/08/2021
NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: NATSILS Appoints New Executive Officer, Jamie McConnachie
NATSILS is pleased to announce the appointment of new Executive Officer, Jamie McConnachie. Born and raised in Mount Isa Queensland, Jamie is a proud Waanyi woman and has held various roles as a lawyer representing mob all over Victoria.
09/08/2021
NATSILS Media Release – NATSILS welcomes dedicated funding for Justice Policy Partnership in opportunity to see real change for our people
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) welcomes the announcement of new funding under the Closing the Gap Agreement announced today. While long overdue, the announcement of dedicated resources to commence the historic Justice Policy Partnership, that aims to address the ongoing overincarceratin of our people and deaths in custody, is an opportunity for government to commit ... Read More
03/08/2021
NATSILS Media Release – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services condemn new Federal charity laws that threaten our self-determination and endanger the delivery of much needed legal services for our people
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services from around the country have banded together to condemn the Federal Government’s proposed new charity laws that pose a very serious threat to self-determination and risk the functioning of their already severely under-funded and under-resourced services.
27/07/2021
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE: Children continue to be jailed in year since Attorneys-General failed to raise the age
Today marks one year since Australia’s top legal officers failed to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, despite being handed an expert report overwhelmingly recommending that all states and territories and the federal government change laws to keep children out of prison.
24/06/2021
NATSILS Media Release – Punitive new N.T bail laws have already lead to spike in youth custody numbers
NATSILS is devastated but not surprised to learn that the N.T Government’s youth bail reforms are already having harmful and life-altering effects on our kids, with a week-on-week increase in youth in detention reported since the reforms were introduced in May.
17/05/2021
NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: NATSILS welcomes the extension of the Disability Royal Commission
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) welcomes the extension of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
11/05/2021
Lack of funding for Aboriginal Legal Services further entrenches our people into the justice system, and minimises the national crisis of deaths in custody
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (NATSILS) is concerned that no additional funding for legal assistance services will set back Close the Gap efforts and further see our people disproportionately over-represented in the criminal legal system.
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