Done By Law

Support for young homeless NZers in Australia and "Couch surfing limbo"

Tonight on Done By Law we talk about an ongoing campaign in support of young NZers who are homeless in Australia. We then chat about how this campaign connects to the broader issue of couch surfing and homelessness, and in particular with some of the findings of WEstjustice's report "Couch Surfing Limbo". More information:http://www.westjustice.org.au/cms_uploads/docs/westjustice-couch-surfing-limbo-report.pdfhttp://www.iwinaus.org

Irrelevant criminal record discrimination and the case for change

Following outraged headlines in Australian newspapers about a recent decision made by Australian Human Rights Commission, we discussed irrelevant criminal record discrimination and the impacts this can have on people with human rights lawyer Gemma Leigh-Dodds, co-producer of documentary ‘Off the Record’.

Balit Ngulu closure, plus Ombudsman report into NDIS

Balit Ngulu is a legal centre tailor-made for Victoria's Aboriginal children and young people that began in July 2017. Despite its success, it is facing possible closure due to a lack of funding. We're joined by Leah Tolley, managing director of Balit Ngulu.The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which provides funding for supports for people with disabilities, has been plagued with issues since its rollout in July 2016. The Ombudsman has recently released a report into some of the comp...

Trans, gender diverse and intersex Victorians' issues with birth certificates

Victorian law makes it incredibly difficult for trans, gender diverse and intersex Victorians to change their birth certificate. This creates obvious and unnecessary distress, and can create barriers to participation. In anticipation of IDAHOBIT, we spoke with highly respected LGBTQI advocate Sally Goldner of TransGender Victoria, and queer advocate and activist Theodore Murray to discuss this issue.

Police accountability and family violence

Victoria Police and the introduction of new weapons

In the first half of the show Matthew speaks to Sophie Lestrange from Melbourne Activist Legal Support about the introduction of new weapons in Victorias Police, and the potential for harm in the community. In the second half of the show Matthew and Ed speak with Cassandra Cohen from Bounding Plains to Share. Cassandra ran 4000kms to support asylum seekers and refugees.

When universities take disciplinary action against their own students

We talk to Phoebe Churches, Manager Advocacy and Legal, University of Melbourne Student Union about disciplinary and misconduct proceedings at universities, and how they sit with principles of natural justice and procedural fairness. We also talk about the UMSU Legal Service, a community legal centre providing advice and assistance to University of Melbourne students.

Human Rights Watch report on treatment of people with disability in Australian prisons

We talk with Ruth Barson, the Director of Legal Advocacy at Human Rights Law Centre about two concerning recent reports addressing neglect, abuse and prolonged periods of detention for people with disability in Australian prisons.

Public Housing - what's going on in Victoria?

In 2017, the Andrew's Government announced that a number of inner city public housing estates are to be demolished and sold off to private developers for redevelopment.Tonight, we talk to Stephanie Price from West Heidelberg Community Legal Service and Molly Williams from Inner Melbourne Community Legal to find out about whether the renewal project stacks up against the Government's rhetoric.In the midst of a housing unaffordability crisis with tens of thousands of people on the public housing w...

Public attitudes to sentencing

On this episode of Done By Law we speak with Dr Karen Gelb, Consultant Criminologist, about public attitudes to sentencing. Dr Gelb takes us through some of her research that shows public attitudes towards sentencing are often more lenient then the portrayal by media and government.

Invasion Day with Lidia Thorpe

On this episode of Done By law we chat with LidiaThorpe, Member for Northcote, who made history on 29 November 2017 as the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to the Victorian Parliament, about approaching Invasion/Survival Day this Friday 26 January with respect for our first peoples.

Unpacking 'African gangs' narrative

This summer saw a frenzy of reports into so called ‘African gangs’. Some media outlets and politicians claimed Victoria is facing a ‘crisis’ in youth crime, so much so that it is no longer safe to eat out at restaurants. Fingers were also being pointed at the courts for being too ‘soft’. However, the State government and police rejected claims of a crisis, labelling them 'utter garbage' and unproductive. Members of the African community also warned against the harm this rhetoric causes, includin...

Women's Transforming Justice Project

Bee chats with Hui Zhou, Principal Lawyer of Darebin Community Legal Centre about Women's Transforming Justice Project - a project of DCLC, Flat Out and LACW (Law and Advocacy Centre for Women)