Wirraway – Police and Prison Accountability Practice
Our Wirraway practice assists clients in police and prison accountability matters.
The types of matters we can assist with include:
- Police misconduct, such as unlawful arrest, unlawful stops and searches and excessive use of force.
- Discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by police or prison authorities
- Prisoners’ rights, including failure to provide appropriate healthcare in prison, unlawful strip searches and being held in solitary confinement.
- Deaths in custody, including coronial inquests.
If you have any questions or concerns, we are here to answer them.
Criminal Law Practice
Our Criminal law practice provides legal representation in criminal law matters for both summary and indictable offences.
Civil and Human Rights Practice
Our Civil and Human Rights Practice provides legal advice, legal assistance or referrals for civil law issues.
The types of matters we can assist with include:
- Tenancy.
- Discrimination (State and Commonwealth jurisdictions) and Human Rights.
- Some Personal Safety Intervention Order (PSIVO) matters.
- Coronial Inquest and inquiries with the Coroners Court.
- Credit, debt and consumer law issues.
- Working with Children Check suspension or cancellation.
- Telling your story to the Disability Royal Commission.
- Spent conviction applications to the Magistrates’ Court.
- Mental Health Tribunal matters.
- Employment (termination and some unpaid wages matters only).
- Infringements (through our clinic).
- Victims of crime (through our pro bono clinic).
Aboriginal Families Practice
Our Family Law Practice provides advice and representation in child related family law matters, family violence and child welfare matters.
The type of family law work VALS does is:
- Family matters: including parenting order applications, lawyer assisted mediation, parenting disputes, grandparent applications and urgent applications for recovery of a child. Unfortunately, we are not able to assist with property matters.
- Child protection matters in the Children’s Court: including pre-litigation advice and representation during court proceedings for applications brought by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
- Family Violence Intervention Orders (FVO): including litigating or defending FVO applications for applicants and respondents, operating an early resolution service to assist parties reach a negotiated agreement prior to litigation. We will generally not assist an affected family member where the Police is the applicant.
- General legal information about divorce proceedings.
Click here to learn more about our Aboriginal Families Practice.
Balit Ngulu – Young people
Balit Ngulu is a specialised youth program within VALS that provides that is dedicated to providing legal assistance and representation to young people who have been charged with summary or indictable offences.