News & UpdatesI am deeply saddened by the reports of racism at Hawthorn Football Club. My heart goes out to the families in these stories. As an Aboriginal woman and the leader…
On Sunday 11 September 2022, Clinton Austin, a 38-year-old Gunditjmara and Wiradjuri man, passed away in custody at Loddon Prison in Victoria. Clinton’s death is currently being investigated by the…
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) and the Amnesty International Australia Victorian Activism and Leadership Committee (Victorian ALC) are partnering in a campaign to “Raise the Age” of criminal responsibility…
2 September 2022 The Victorian Auditor-Generals Office published a report that found that Victoria Police received $2 billion for new staff, without producing a proper business case, and that it…
16 August 2022 Today a coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, legal, human rights and youth justice organizations will reiterate calls for the Victorian government to raise the age…
5 August 2022 This week, the Andrews Government introduced the Monitoring of Places of Detention by the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (OPCAT) Bill 2022 into the Victorian…
2 August 2022 VALS is extremely concerned that the Victorian Government continues to push through legislation expanding the powers of police. The Government’s Justice Legislation Amendment (Police and Other Matters)…
2 August 2022 The Mental Health and Wellbeing Bill was supposed to enable a revolution in mental health care, but will still allow abusive practices. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander…
Statement by Baby L’s mother “It’s been almost 4 years since my beautiful daughter passed. I miss her so much and still feel the pain of losing her. I miss…
24 June 2022 VALS opposes the creation of the new indictable offence of “grossly offensive public conduct” as the need for the proposed offence has not been sufficiently demonstrated. The…