Here on Done By Law we are typically talking to people who work in the law. But in this episode, we’re gaining insight from a man who has been subject to it.Earlier this year, Ronin was released from prison. His experiences both inside and out have been a cause for reflection and he is getting busy using the written word to share his insights and advice for those going through it themselves. He is putting the finishing touches on his book ‘Pri-Zen’, a reflection on his journey through the system...
Jun 03, 2025
Protective Services Officers, or PSOs have existed in Australia since the late 1980s. Their role was significantly expanded in 2012.As many of our listeners will be aware, PSO are armed, uniformed officers who pop up at train stations, protests, and at public buildings like parliament and courts. They are part of Victoria Police, but what are their powers? And what are your rights when interacting with them? To help us understand these issues we’re joined tonight by Rory Hudson, a Managing Lawye...
May 06, 2025
This episode discusses gender-affirming care for transgender young people. We might mention suicide and self-harm. Listeners are advised.At the end of January this year, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced a review into healthcare for trans and gender-diverse children. The review will be conducted by the National Health and Medical Research Council. The rights of transgender people, and in particular the rights of trangender youth and their access to life-saving, gender-affirming care ...
Apr 01, 2025
Jimi is joined by two researchers at Liberty Victoria's Rights Advocacy Project, Britney Aguirre & Denham Sadler. They join the show to discuss their recently published report 'Unreasonable Grounds: Reforming Victoria Police’s stop and search powers'.You can find the full report here: https://www.rightsadvocacyproject.org/stop-and-searchIf you wish to contribute to Rights Advocacy Project, learn more and apply here: https://www.rightsadvocacyproject.org/apply-for-rap
Mar 04, 2025
Jimi is joined by Sanmati Verma, Principal Lawyer of Human Rights Law Centre, to discuss recent developments in migration law in Australia and the harsh legislative regimes imposed upon refugees, asylum seekers and stateless peoples in this country. Sanmati and her team at the Human Rights Law Centre have been at the forefront of this space and are eager to share with our listeners the radical policies being implemented in our own backyard. Sanmati Verma joined the Human Rights Law Centre in 202...
Feb 04, 2025
This episode Jimi and Britt chat with Rosie Heselev from About Time Media who publish a fantastic newspaper written almost entirely by incarcerated people called About Time. Rosie is the Managing Director of About Time. She previously worked as a lawyer at Fitzroy Legal Service and the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service. She’s also DBL alumni.This episode, Rosie shares some history on About Time, and reads some letters and articles from recent issues.You can read About Time at the website: https...
Dec 03, 2024
Jimi is joined by Eric Hayward to unpack his submission, on behalf of the West Australian Greens First Nations Committee, to the Senate Standing Committee on Australia’s Youth Justice and Incarceration System; an ongoing inquiry which is due for final report in February 2025. Eric is an experienced and passionate social justice advocate and agent of change, with decades of experience in law & education. He is currently a Law School Guest Lecturer and confirmed PhD candidate at the University...
Nov 05, 2024
Jimi and Aurora are joined by barrister Adam Chernok from Melbourne Activist Legal Service. They discuss legal protections for activists and police powers in light of the recent Disrupt Land Forces anti-war protests.
Oct 01, 2024
Community Legal Centres or CLCs have formed a critical part of Australia’s legal assistance landscape since before the state legal aid offices even existed. Yet they regularly have had to battle for sufficient funding to continue to provide their important community embedded services.As CLCs once again enter a funding crisis, we chat with CEO Louisa Gibbs from Victorian peak body, the Federation of Community Legal Centres, about this and the national #SaveCommunityLegalCentres campaign. For more...
Sep 24, 2024
Jimi is joined by Afifeh Saeidavi, an Iranian Arab woman who came to Australia in 2012 with her family. Afifeh is one of more than 10,000 refugees who have been ignored and left in indefinite limbo for over 10 years due to Australia's failed 'fast track' system. For the last 51 days, refugees have been campaigning 24/7 for permanent visas through protests and encampments outside the offices of former immigration Minister Claire O’Neil and more recently the Department of Home Affairs in Docklands...
Sep 03, 2024
On this episode, Aurora & Jimi are joined by Amity Mara, Manager of Policy in the Social Action and Public Interest Law team at Fitzroy Legal Service. Amity joins us to discuss drug driving offences for medical cannabis patients. Under current Victorian law, someone can be found guilty of drug driving by having trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol chemicals in their system while driving, despite having a legal prescription and not being impaired by the drug. Fitzroy Legal Service argues thi...
Aug 06, 2024
We’re talking about the Dingo! Aurora & Jimi are joined by Mera Sivanesan from Environmental Justice Australia to discuss the cultural and ecological significance of dingoes, and the efforts EJA are undertaking to protect them.
Jul 02, 2024
On this episode, we speak with Laura Dreyfus and Danya Jacobs of the Ecosystem team from Environmental Justice Australia. Among many legal battles, they are currently putting their efforts into assisting the Dungallaba Kulumbirigin clan of the Larrakia people in the fight to protect their country from a large development project at Binybara, also known as Lee Point north of Darwin - a place of both cultural and environmental significance. Laura Dreyfus is a lawyer at Environmental Justice Austra...
Jun 04, 2024
***A warning to our listeners, this episode discusses family violence, family violence intervention orders, and gendered violence.*** This week Northern Community Legal Centre released two research reports examining the use of different online technologies in the family violence intervention order process. To discuss the reports and their findings we are joined by Northern Community Legal Centre’s, Partnerships & Community Development Manager, Tania McKenna. Regarding language we will be tal...
May 07, 2024
Jimi & Liz are joined by Jo Parkin & Shifrah Blustein of the Infringements Working Group to give us the lay of the legal land for those finding themselves in a sticky situation when it comes to fines and infringements. A community legal centre or financial counsellor may be able to help you with your fines, especially if you have multiple fines and you have an experience of family violence, homelessness, mental health issues or disability, or drug and alcohol misuse.Find your local commu...
Apr 02, 2024
Co-hosts Jimi & Lizzie are joined by Jess de Vries, Director of Legal Services at Women's Legal Service Victoria, to discuss a number of the incredible efforts undertaken by the WLSV team across the State. Whether discussing family law, criminal law, VOCAT, child protection or social work, Jess provides some fascinating insights into what her team are doing to support some of Victoria's most vulnerable communities.
Mar 05, 2024
In this episode of Done By Law we discuss the decriminalisation of public intoxication legislation in Victoria and the implementation of the new alternative health-based response. First recommended by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody over 30 years ago, being intoxicated in public was finally decriminalised in Victoria on 7 November 2023. A key driver of this historic and long overdue reform was the tireless advocacy by the family of proud Yorta Yorta woman Aunty Tanya ...
Jan 23, 2024
Lauren Levin of Financial Counselling Australia joins Jimi & Britt to discuss the hidden epidemic of gambling harm in Australia.
Nov 07, 2023
Listeners please be advised that in this episode we discuss topics including family and domestic violence, sexual assault, and mental ill health. In this episode we hear about Health Justice Partnership from CEO of Health Justice Australia, Tessa Boyd-Caine. This important justice movement creates opportunities for lawyers and health care and other providers to assist their clients and communities with overlapping justice needs. Health Justice Australia was formed in 2016 and work to support the...
Sep 05, 2023
Amy Schneider from Economic Justice Australia joins hosts Britt & Jimi in their discussion of the recent Robodebt report.
Aug 01, 2023
This special week is NAIDOC week, a week in which we celebrate the history, culture and achievements of First Nations people. This episode, we are very lucky to have Mrs. Bettina Cooper on our show who we pay respect to.Mrs. Bettina Cooper is a proud Aboriginal woman from the Boandik people of First Nations of South East Australia near what we now call Mount Gambier in South Australia and for many thousands and thousands of years Bettina’s ancestors lived on that country.Bettina is an experience...
Jul 04, 2023
Housing has become an increasingly desperate situation for so many in the community, and renters are often the most vulnerable and at risk of poverty and homelessness. The current private tenancy rates are sitting well below 1% in many parts of the state, and suitable accommodation stock is often worse for those with little to spend or who need access to critical services. On top of that, many renters have been slugged with massive increases on their rent, making keeping a roof over their head v...
Jun 06, 2023
It’s National Reconciliation Week, and we’re all talking about the Voice to Parliament for First Nations Australians.There’s a lot of myths swirling around about this proposed change to our Federal Constitution. So, this episode of Done by Law is about myth-busting that chatter.Tom Warne-Smith, senior lawyer at West Heidelberg Community Legal joins us to help sort out and explain a few of those misconceptions, from the law perspective.
May 30, 2023
In this episode of Done by Law, Ingrid and Beth look at the ANZAC legend and its 21st Century legacy – a century during which Australia has continued to participate in foreign conflicts (with allegations of serious war crimes committed against civilians by Australian troops in Afghanistan) and where it might be said that violations of the laws of war appear to have occurred without sufficient scrutiny or, as yet, redress in domestic or international systems. We’re joined by Dr Carolyn Holbrook, ...
Apr 25, 2023
Lizzy, Jimmy and Britt talk to Sarah Sacher, Law Reform Officer at Economic Justice Australia about some of the big issues in social security law currently, including changes to the couples assessment, the AAT, and ongoing issues with Robodebt. Listeners are advised that this episode discusses family violence and Centrelink.If you are requiring assistance with Social Security debts/Centrelink debts you can contact Social Security Rights Victoria on phone: 03 9481 0355 or National Debt Helpline o...
Apr 04, 2023
In this episode of Done By Law we explore the concept of decolonising environmental justice, and discuss its application to the work of Environmental Justice Australia, a national environmentally-focused public interest legal centre. We are fortunate to be joined by Dr Bruce Lindsay, Senior Specialist Lawyer and Justice Lead, within the Justice Program at EJA. Bruce researches and writes on topics from environmental offsets, water law and native vegetation clearing. He also engages with communit...
Mar 28, 2023
Dylan and Indy speak with Eirene Tsolidis Noyce about renter's rights, the 'rental crisis', and RAHU.Learn more about RAHU here: https://rahu.org.au/
Mar 21, 2023
This week on Done by Law our very special guest is a true access to justice hero - Gerard Brody. After 10 years as CEO of Consumer Action law Centre, Gerard is stepping away from his role. Listen in as Gerard looks back over his incredible achievements during this time. He covers the rewards, the challenges, unfinished business and advice for future consumer law advocates.
Jan 31, 2023
· Beth and Ingrid look at the issue of de-banking and the impact on people working in the sex industry and in adjacent professions such as stripping. We look at the draft guidance from AUSTRAC on financial services for customers that financial institutions assess to be higher risk. We look in particular at the ways that that guidance supports sex workers and the ways it falls short, particularly in terms of the requirement to remind financial institutions about obligations under state and federa...
Jan 24, 2023
This week on Done by Law we chat about Specialist Family Violence Courts. Why are they needed? What do they look like? Why aren't these in place already?Listen in to Belinda Lo from Eastern Community Legal Centre, and Rachel Pliner from the Federation of Community Legal Centres talk about this crucial part of the justice system.
Nov 29, 2022
