I am one of six students involved in the program, headed by UNSW academic Vicki Sentas and RLC solicitor David Porter.
The clinic involves both client casework and policy research work. Redfern Legal Centre is the only legal community legal centre in New South Wales that has a dedicated police complaints practice. We help clients by drafting formal complaints to police and the NSW Ombudsman. If appropriate, we also assist with preparations for civil litigations against the police.
So far we have investigated: systemic excessive bail checks; allegations of assaults by police; racial profiling; unlawful arrests; and police targeting of vulnerable persons including inappropriate targeting of clients under the NSW Police Suspect Target Management Plan.
We’ve also requested the return of client’s personal items seized by police and investigated possible police breaches of their legal obligations regarding people in custody. This work is very much a practical learning process and complements the more academic elements of the clinic.
The clinic also involves seminars where we examine the socio-legal aspects of crime and policing. We discuss issues such as policing methods and practices, statutory police powers and racial profiling. We are also writing research pieces on police related incidents. For example, one student is analyzing the release of the Ombudsman and Coroner’s findings on the death of Brazilian student Roberto Curti at the hands of police.
I have found the clinic a worthwhile experience. Not only have I learnt many practical skills that I would not have learned in the classroom, I feel the work we have done has empowered some of the most vulnerable members of the community.
By Gyo Suzuki
