Today the NSW Supreme Court published its reasons in a test case about COVID-19 fines. The decision clarifies the requirements necessary for a fine to be valid, and calls into disrepute all the remaining 29,017 COVID-19 fines that have not been withdrawn.
Law reform
Redfern Legal Centre works to change unjust laws and policies that impact the communities we serve.
On this page
RLC works to make positive changes to the law and the legal system in each of our specialised areas of practice. Our law reform work is informed by our clients' experience of the legal system, and follows priorities set out in our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan.
Learn more about current law reform priorities and submissions undertaken by RLC.
Current focus areas
News
Domestic and family violence advocates have raised concerns about the lack of consultation around the criminalisation of coercive control.
News
RLC and Slater and Gordon Lawyers have issued a class action proceeding for people who have been unlawfully searched by NSW Police at all music festivals in NSW since 22 July 2016.
Recent law reform submissions
Papers and submissions
Redfern Legal Centre, as part of the Power to Prevent Coalition, calls on the Australian Government to adopt an Equal Access costs model for all discrimination matters.
Papers and submissions
RLC is asking the Federal government to establish whistleblower protections that would enable migrant workers to report exploitation without risking their visa.
Papers and submissions
RLC's submission on the nature and extent of poverty in Australia highlighted the links between domestic violence and homelessness & debts keeping victim survivors in abusive relationships. In order to address this, the Government needs to fund specialist Financial Abuse services and ensure that they collect relevant data to inform evidence-based policy.
Papers and submissions
Submission made to the Real Estate Housing Policy Team in NSW Government concerning the specific legislative provisions to protect the rights of tenants and non-perpetrator co-tenants who have experienced domestic violence.
News
A coalition of community legal centres including RLC has sent an open letter to government calling for improvements to a proposed discrimination law Bill.
Papers and submissions
RLC and the Economic Abuse Reference Group (EARG) have made submissions to Government recommending a phased approach to criminalising coercive control.
Papers and submissions
RLC's submission highlights an opportunity for the proposed renewal of the Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct to deliver much-needed social, affordable and Aboriginal housing.
Papers and submissions
RLC has joined more than 70 organisations calling on NSW Government to remove the requirement to prove injury in Victims Support applications.
Papers and submissions
RLC's submission discusses current and future housing needs including affordable social and Aboriginal housing, and Waterloo's social housing community through redevelopment and relocations.
Media releases
Media releases
Today the NSW Supreme Court published its reasons in a test case about COVID-19 fines. The decision clarifies the requirements necessary for a fine to be valid, and calls into disrepute all the remaining 29,017 COVID-19 fines that have not been withdrawn.
Media releases
NSW Supreme Court the State of New South Wales conceded that the COVID-19 fines issued to the three plaintiffs are invalid and fail to meet the legal requirements under the Fines Act (NSW).
Media releases
Redfern Legal Centre (RLC) is calling on the NSW Government to put an immediate stay on enforcement orders issued to people who have not yet paid their COVID-19 fines.
Media releases
Leading domestic and violence advocates say they cannot support the Coercive Control Bill in its current form.
Media releases
Latest NSW Police strip-search figures show that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of people were still being subjected to strip searches, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and children disproportionately targeted.
Media releases
A class action has been filed by Redfern Legal Centre and Slater and Gordon Lawyers against the state of NSW on behalf of people who have been invasively and unlawfully searched by police at music festivals over the past six years.
Media releases
RLC is calling on the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) to examine NSW Police’s internal child protection policy.