Media releases

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.

The judgment in the second NSW Supreme Court COVID fines test case filed by Redfern Legal Centre (RLC) on behalf of their client Ms Kosciolek, has been handed down: Kosciolek v Commissioner of Police [2024] NSWSC 15.

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.

Legal Academics, legal experts, and social justice advocates representing community legal centres, legal services and organisations, law faculties, and advocacy groups have collectively signed an open letter (attached) calling on the NSW Government to fund trained mental health experts as first responders to mental health crises.

The NSW Government has committed to funding Redfern Legal Centre’s Financial Abuse Service to continue and expand the service as a best practice, holistic model, as recommended in a report published in 2022 by Commbank NextChapter.

Redfern Legal Centre is continuing to pursue a public interest outcome in its second COVID fines case.