Once again, activist lawyers from across Australia are coming together at the National Conference of Community Legal Centres (#naclc12). It’s a terrific opportunity to reflect on the work of Community Legal Centres (CLCs), and to identify challenges and opportunities. For those that don’t know, CLCs are independently operating not-for-profit, community-based organisations that provide legal services […]
Author Archives: James Farrell
About James Farrell
http://www.deakin.edu.au/profiles/james-farrell
As Australians, our home is known as the ‘lucky country’. We learnt recently that five of Australia’s cities are among the most liveable in the world. Geelong Advertiser readers will know that it’s only a matter of time until Geelong finds its way onto that list. But not everyone in the world is so lucky. Imagine […]
In my Australia, all people will have opportunities to access full social, cultural and economic inclusion. I have had the privilege of working with community organisations that work to encourage people to assert their rights, build their capacity and confidence, and feel that they can contribute to their communities. Particularly in leadership roles with the […]
A recent Office of Police Integrity report shows that ‘random stop and search’ powers cannot be shown to reduce crime or improve community safety. The Summary Offences and Control of Weapons Acts Amendment Act 2009 provides police with additional powers in public spaces, including: random search powers (including strip searches) in designated areas; directing people […]
It’s fair to say that homelessness is at crisis point in Australia. According to the 2006 census, almost 105,000 Australians were homeless on any given night. And the problem clearly hasn’t disappeared over the past six years, with more than 91,000 Australians seeking assistance from specialist homeless services in the three months to September […]
A group of academics from Deakin University’s School of Law today called on the Australian Senate to pass laws to allow marriage equality. The academics’ call was included in their submission to an inquiry by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee on the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010. The Bill is one of three Bills currently before the […]
Phil* became homeless after his partner died and his house was repossessed. He cycled through shelters and crisis accommodation, dangerous rooming houses, and the couches of friends and families. After several months, Phil hit the jackpot and was accepted into transitional housing. As the name suggests, transitional housing is short- to medium-term housing to assist […]
We all make mistakes: often they are embarrassing or hurtful, sometimes they have more serious consequences. However, where the police and courts get involved, they can have long-lasting impact on people’s lives. Discrimination on the ground that a person has a criminal record is widespread in Victoria, particularly in obtaining and maintaining employment. There has […]
This week, global attention has turned to wartime atrocities committed by Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony. This has been driven by a social media campaign launched by Invisible Children – in its first three days, the Kony2012 campaign’s YouTube video had been viewed over 40 million times. While the campaign and particularly the video enjoy […]
In ACC v Stoddart,[1] the High Court recently held that there is no common law privilege against incriminating one’s spouse, which had been thought to exist for several centuries. What impact will this decision have? Spouses may now be unable to withhold evidence that may incriminate their partner. Image: ‘The Bed’ by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec […]