Uniformed Victoria Police attend Coronial Inquest for ‘security’, compounding the grief and trauma of the Thomas Family
MEDIA RELEASE 1st July 2021 Uniformed Victoria Police attend Coronial Inquest for ‘security’, compounding the grief and trauma of the Thomas Family Quotes Attributable to Uncle Ray, Raymond Noel’s father “It is disgusting and offensive behaviour from the police once again towards us as an Aboriginal family at such a critical time like this, when […]
IBAC report finds that prison expansion and privatisation are contributing factors to corruption and abuse within Victoria’s Corrections system
MEDIA RELEASE 24 June 2021Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) IBAC’s Special report on corrections: IBAC Operations Rous, Caparra, Nisidia and Molara makes a clear link between the expansion in prison capacity and an increase in corruption within the corrections system. The Andrews Government’s tough on crime agenda, including the implementation of draconian bail laws, and […]
Daniel Andrews and Jaclyn Symes have put the Governments legacy on Aboriginal justice at risk
MEDIA RELEASE 20 May 2021 Daniel Andrews and Jaclyn Symes gave VALS $1 million dollars per year for two years to pilot our Place-Based Delivery Model in the Victorian Budget 2021/22, but our model requires $26.5 million over four years. The Place-Based Delivery Model was to include 10 offices across Victoria, but this “pilot” funding […]
It is time for a Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner
Friday 26th March 2021 Joint Media Release from Djirra and Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service: No Justice, No Peace – It is time for a Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner We call on the Victorian Government to immediately establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. The Commissioner must be […]
The Victorian Government Must End Its Harmful Obsession with Expanding Victoria’s Prison System
MEDIA RELEASE 19 March 2021 Today the Victorian Government made two announcements celebrating prison construction. It is their sixth media release regarding prison construction works in the last six months and highlights the alarming expansion of the carceral system in Victoria. This is nothing to celebrate. Today’s announcements come after National Close the Gap day […]
Another Aboriginal Death in Custody Highlights the Cost of Waiting
MEDIA RELEASE 11 March 2021 Another Aboriginal Death in Custody Highlights the Cost of Waiting VALS is deeply saddened by the news that an Aboriginal man died in Ravenhall Correctional Centre on 7 March 2021. Another Aboriginal family is left to deal with the consequences of a system that imprisons us at staggering rates. Devastatingly, […]
Self-Determination Will Decide the Success of the Yoo-rrook Justice Commission
MEDIA RELEASE 09 March 2021 Self-Determination Will Decide the Success of the Yoo-rrook Justice Commission VALS welcomes the opportunity that the Yoo-rrook Justice Commission presents and commends the Victorian Government for committing to a process that governments across Australia have denied to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Given Victoria will be “first and only […]
Charmaine Clarke and VALS welcome Anti-Vilification Protections Inquiry recommendations
MEDIA RELEASE 03 March 2021 Charmaine Clarke and VALS welcome Anti-Vilification Protections Inquiry recommendations Charmaine Clarke and VALS welcomes the final report of the Anti-Vilification Protections Inquiry tabled today by the Legal and Social Issues Committee. The committee has listened to the experiences of people like Charmaine and accepted their advice. VALS thanks Charmaine for […]
Important Step Towards Justice for Tanya Day
MEDIA RELEASE 19 February 2021Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) Important Step Towards Justice for Tanya Day What happened to Tanya Day was a tragedy. That tragedy has been compounded because the Day family have had to fight for justice for so long. Their perseverance and courage are remarkable. The Victorian Government today passed a Bill […]
Blanket Facebook Bans are Racist
MEDIA RELEASE 18 February 2021Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) VALS is outraged that Facebook has blocked our page and the pages of many community organisations that represent marginalised groups as part of its political battle with the government and media outlets. To apply a blanket ban without considering marginalised groups is re-enforcing the systemic discrimination […]
Building Back Better for Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
MEDIA RELEASE 8 February 2021 Building Back Better for Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People VALS has launched the Building Back Better: COVID-19 Recovery Plan to provide a strategy for the Victorian and Federal Governments to ensure Victoria’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are not left behind during the pandemic and the pandemic […]
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service supports the Aboriginal Community on Invasion Day
MEDIA RELEASE 25 January 2021 Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) Exercising the right to protest on Invasion Day is a reasonable action in response to the systemic racism and injustices Aboriginal people have been subjected to every day since this land’s violent colonisation. Victoria Police must not misuse COVID-19 health measures to impede the right […]
VALS Supports a Health Response to Public Intoxication
MEDIA RELEASE 30 November 2020 VALS Supports a Health Response to Public Intoxication, with Limited Police Involvement and Robust Safeguards VALS acknowledges the tireless advocacy of Tanya Day’s family, and shares their concerns that police involvement in a health response to public drunkenness comes with a risk of discriminatory policing of Aboriginal people. If, under […]
The Victorian Government’s budget has left Aboriginal people behind
Media Release – 25th November 2020 The Government’s Budget that was announced yesterday, which is so generous to Victoria Police, to Corrections and to Youth Justice, fails vulnerable Aboriginal people. During the pandemic, our people have been over-policed, receiving a disproportionate number of fines, have experienced more family violence and homelessness, have been heavily impacted […]
The Victorian Aboriginal community must not be left behind
MEDIA RELEASE 11 November 2020 The Victorian Aboriginal community must not be left behind in the COVID-19 recovery response Today the Victorian Government announced that it is investing $235 million to building the recovery workforce, and $40 million to support a service delivery fund for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations […]