Media releases

Redfern Legal Centre (RLC) launches the Police Accountability Dashboard - a groundbreaking tool and the first of its kind in Australia.

The National Justice Project (NJP), Redfern Legal Centre (RLC), Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) are hosting an expert forum, ‘Mental health call outs: who should respond?’ to consider alternatives to the current approach that sends police to be first responders to a mental health crisis.

A trial date has been set by the NSW Supreme Court for the landmark strip search class action that will challenge the legality of strip searches conducted by NSW Police at music festivals over a six-year period.

Another music festival cancellation shows the effect of over-policing on the music festival industry.

Redfern Legal Centre (RLC) has released a new report that reveals over a thousand children (aged 10-17 years) have been strip searched by NSW Police within a seven year period from June 2016 to July 2023. The report written by RLC solicitors, Samantha Lee and Josh Raj -‘The Need for Reform: Strip Searches of Children by NSW Police’ collates data about the number of children strip searched by NSW Police. The data was obtained from NSW Police via access to information law.

Redfern Legal Centre stands with a coalition of Aboriginal and legal organisations that say a secret proposal to tighten NSW bail laws for children would make NSW regional communities more dangerous. Multiple government sources have indicated off the record that a proposal to introduce punitive law and order measures – including changes to bail laws that will result in more children going to jail – may be considered as early as this week.

Any review of NSW Police firearm handling procedures should be conducted by an independent body with the findings made public, says Redfern Legal Centre.

Redfern Legal Centre (RLC) welcomes many of the findings and recommendations of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) regarding the use of force against a First Nations child.

A scathing report from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) says NSW Police use of the Suspect Targeting Management Plan (STMP) against young people ‘amounted to agency maladministration’ and ‘could possibly meet the threshold for serious misconduct’.

The NSW Police Force strip-searched 31 girls (10-17 years) between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2023. Three girls were aged 12 and six girls were aged 13.