HEALING PAST WOUNDS / Northern Territory's archaic laws to be overturned

Dr Dino Hodge, a long-time LGBTI community advocate, is hopeful a bill introduced by the NT Government will provide closure for people who were charged under old laws that criminalised homosexual acts.

TRANS RIGHTS / Victoria to reform discriminatory birth certificate laws

Transgender Victorians may soon be able to stay married when they change their birth certificate to reflect who they are, with the Andrews Government set to eliminate an anomaly in Victoria’s birth certificate laws that requires anyone wishing to change their gender to be unmarried.

VIC POLICE / Victims' shocking stories of a broken complaints system

An avalanche of news stories from people who have experienced excessive force, racist policing or other police misconduct, and tried unsuccessfully to make complaints, provide a shocking glimpse into the failings of Victoria's police complaints system.

YOUTH JUSTICE / Chemical agents and flash grenades

The findings of a report released by the Independent Inspector of Custodial Services details horrific conditions and treatment in Western Australia’s only youth jail, Banksia Hill. The report calls on the McGowan Government to overhaul WA's decaying youth justice system.

MANDATORY SENTENCING / NT Government fails to keep election promise

Statistics released this week reveal paint a terrifying picture of an unfair and damaging criminal justice system. The Gunner Government is sending more people to prison than ever before, which is a direct result of its failure to repeal mandatory sentencing laws.

OPINION / I know our criminal justice system inside out, and it is being misused

Criminal justice systems geared towards locking up people upend the very foundations of justice – fairness and equality. They also fail to address the root causes of crime and do not help people learn from their mistakes, writes senior lawyer Shahleena Musk.

ELECTORAL REFORMS / A threat to our democracy

The Turnbull Government's proposed electoral reforms bill is incoherent, unworkable and a threat to our democracy. The Government needs to engage in proper consultation to get this right, says Dr Aruna Sathanapally.

ABORTION LAWS / Time to bring Queensland into the 21st Century

Queensland's current laws reflect completely outdated views about women and sex. The majority of the community and the medical profession want to see them changed. It’s time to bring abortion laws into line with community expectations, clinical practice, and common sense, says Adrianne Walters.

TRAINING COURSE / LGBTIQ+ leadership and advocacy training

Are you passionate about LGBTIQ+ rights? Do you want to become a more effective advocate for your community and develop your leadership and advocacy skills? Make Change Happen SA are running a training, free of charge, for LGBTIQ+ advocates in South Australia. Apply by 27 April.

BOOK NOW / 2018 Human Rights Dinners

We're delighted to announce that Magda Szubanski and Tom Ballard will be joining us for our Human Rights Dinner. Tickets are selling fast. Don't miss out on an exciting night to celebrate a year of incredible impact.

UN / Government condemns Cambodia’s human rights regress yet insists refugees can still go there

It’s about time our Government condemned the Hun Sen regime. However, the Turnbull Government’s own words shows how unprincipled the Cambodian refugee deal has always been.

STAFF NEWS / Introducing David Burke

David Burke has joined the team as a lawyer working to protect and defend the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum. David previously worked at Lander & Rogers, where he founded and coordinated the firm’s Asylum Seeker Pro Bono Program.

Family Court of Australia rules transgender young people no longer need to apply to the Court for surgery

Re: Matthew [2018] FamCA 161 (16 March 2018)

UK Court of Appeal finds metadata retention regime inconsistent with EU law

Secretary of State for the Home Department v Watson [2018] EWCA Civ 70

Ahead of abortion referendum, Irish Supreme Court finds only right unborn children enjoy is right to life

M v Minister for Justice and Equality [2018] IESC 14

European Court of Human Rights tips the balance in favour of privacy over freedom of expression on social media

Einarsson v. Iceland (Application no. 24703/15) [2017] ECHR 7 November 2017

United States Supreme Court finds guilty plea cannot bar constitutional claim

Class v United States, 583 U.S. ___ (2018)

ESSAY PRIZE / Australian Academy of Law

The Australian Academy of Law is offering an Annual Essay Prize of $10,000. The essay topic for 2018 is: Rights and freedoms under the Australian Constitution: what are they and do they meet the needs of contemporary Australian society?

FILM / RBG

RBG is a look at the life and career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Our friends at Palace Cinemas have two double passes to see RBG up for grabs. Simply email: 
nswrsvp@palacecinemas.com.au with "RBG" in the subject line for your chance to win (only winners will be notified).

NOMINATIONS / AGS Australian Women Lawyers Award

Nominations are open for the AGS Australian Women Lawyers (AWL) Award, which recognises women who have made an outstanding contribution to the legal profession in Australia. Nominations close 6 August 2018.

JOB / NSW Council for Civil Liberties

NSWCCL is looking for a person with legal qualifications to work as a policy lawyer with its executive and committee on priority civil liberties and human rights issues. Applications close 25 April 2018.

Four officers suspended by Victoria Police over alleged excessive force

The Victorian Government needs to creates an independent body to investigate police misconduct accusations. The current system is failing and the odds are stacked against anyone who complains, Hugh de Kretser told the ABC.

Breakthrough as Tasmania expunges historical homosexual convictions

Acknowledging the injustice of Tasmania's old laws will have a practical impact on the lives of people convicted under them, lawyer Lee Carnie told the SBS.

Firearm lasers, flash grenades used on youths at detention centre, report finds

Like Don Dale, Western Australia's Banksia Hill youth jail is a sinking ship that should be abandoned and replaced with small, home-like facilities, Ruth Barson told the Guardian.

Australia justice system overhaul needed to address Indigenous incarceration, inquiry finds

A major inquiry found that all governments must overhaul the justice system to reduce the massive over-representation of Indigenous people in jail. Now that the evidence is there, governments must ensure the recommendations are implemented, Shahleena Musk told the ABC.