Podcast appearances and mentions of victoria legal aid

'I'm the Aboriginal girl with the Indian name', says Melbourne lawyer Meena Singh, who is the Associate Director of Aboriginal Services at Victoria Legal Aid. - ਮੈਲਬੌਰਨ ਦੀ ਵਕੀਲ ਮੀਨਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਪਿਛੋਕੜ ਨਾਲ ਸਬੰਧ ਰਖਦੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਇੱਕ ਆਦਿਵਾਸੀ ਔਰਤ ਵੀ ਹੈ। ਉਹ ਵਿਕਟੋਰੀਆ ਲੀਗਲ ਏਡ ਵਿਖੇ ਆਦਿਵਾਸੀ ਸੇਵਾਵਾਂ ਦੀ ਐਸੋਸੀਏਟ ਡਾਇਰੈਕਟਰ ਹੈ।

HEADLINES//- State election results- Melbourne win AFLW Grand Final- Youth Verdict wins landmark case against Clive Palmer's coalmine- Afghani women secretly network for change- Pakistan lifts ban on Joyland- National party won't support Indigenous voice to parliament, saying it won't close the gap0715We hear two speeches recorded at SlutWalk Melbourne -- Nazanin speaks about women's experience in Iran, and Kira spoke about their experience of sexual assault.0730Laura Riccardi, Sexual & Reproductive Health-Lead at Women's Health in the South East, speaks to us about the Medibank data breach and the sinister targeting of health data related to reproductive healthcare.0745We revisit a conversation with Sahar Gholizadeh in September, about the death of Mahsa Amini and the revolution it has spurred in Iran.0800We speak with Allira Dryden about her performance at First and Forever which was held on Sunday the 27th of November. To find out more about the artists that performed, you can visit  https://firstandforever.com.au/0815We revisit a conversation with Elicia Savvas, Associate Director, Child Protection at Victoria Legal Aid in September this year, about the importance of implementing the Framework to Reduce Criminalisation of Young People in Residential Care.SONGS//Solid Gold - SyccoFrom Little Things Big Things Grow - Electric FieldsBlack Woman in the Flames - Lady LashBlak Matriachy - Barkaa

Today, your host Michael Green speaks with Her Honour Nola Karapanagiotidis. Before becoming a Country Court Judge in 2021, Nola had a variety of experiences beginning as an articled clerk at Victoria Legal Aid all the way to the bar, with a large amount of pro-bono work along the way. Interestingly, Nola is the first female Greek / Australian County Court Judge in Victoria. Her parents migrated from Greece in the 1960's with no English and limited education. From those humble beginnings, Nola and her brother Kon have had a huge impact on our legal system and it was a pleasure to explore that journey in our conversation. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast

In this episode of Done By Law we feature audio from the wonderful seminar ‘Women's Lived Experience in Decarceration and Carceral Resistance', held on Monday 24 October 2022 at the Wheeler Centre in Melbourne.This evening of discussion, reflections and solutions was hosted by Fitzroy Legal Service and featured the insightful contributions of a number of expert panellists, including practitioners, and women with lived experience of incarceration and the criminal justice system. Panel 1 – Systemic changes required to address women's over-incarcerationElena Campbell (Moderator) – Centre for Innovative JusticeKaren Fletcher – Flat OutLisa Abbott – TaskForceElena Pappas – LACWMegan Pearce – VLAPanel 2 – Women's Lived ExperienceNina Storey (Moderator) – Homes Not Prisons, Women Transforming JusticeJacqui Bampton – Women Transforming JusticeSara Stilianos – Homes Not Prisons, Women Transforming JusticeJasmine Barzani – Homes Not PrisonsWe have unfortunately only been able to feature 30 minutes of this jam packed two and a half hour evening. To watch the whole event, head to YouTube via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB_TlMR3tTo&ab_channel=FitzroyLegalService  ***Full biographies Panel 1: Elena Pappas LACWElena is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Law and Advocacy Centre for Women, and community legal centre established specifically to combat women's increasing criminalisation and imprisonment. She also sits on the Board as an Executive Director.  Elena is a passionate advocate and leader who is dedicated to working collaboratively with organisation and individuals to address the causes of women's criminalisation.  She currently leads LACW's policy and systemic advocacy work, and is Co-Convenor of Smart Justice for Women, a sub-committee of the broader Smart Justice coalition convened by the Federation of Community Legal Centres.  Elena previously worked at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service where she held the position of Senior Lawyer in the Criminal Law team. She advised and appeared on behalf of clients in complex criminal matters and shared responsibility for the mentoring and management of junior and support staff. Prior to this, Elena was an Associate in the Workplace Relations team of a private law firm in Melbourne. She holds a Master of Public and International Law from the University of Melbourne. She has worked as a volunteer with the Mental Health Legal Centre, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Fitzroy Legal Service.Lisa AbbottTaskforceLisa Abbott is the Executive Manager Social Impact and Growth at TaskForce Community Agency, a not-for profit operating in Victoria delivering a suite of services to our most marginalised. Lisa has worked with those in contact with the justice system for 20 years in Government and community and over the last five years has been leading the development and delivery of the Living Free Project, a project supporting vulnerable girls and women who are at risk of, or are in early contact with, the justice system. The project drives cross sectoral collaboration and seeks to improve service system responses to enhance how our health and community sectors support women who often fall through service gaps.Karen FletcherFlat OutKaren Fletcher is the Executive Officer of Flat Out Inc, a community organisation that supports and advocates for women and trans and gender diverse people to get out and stay out of prison. She is a lawyer by trade has worked as a prison advocacy lawyer at Fitzroy Legal Service and Prisoners Legal Service QLD and as a public health lawyer, with a special interest in drug decriminalisation, in government and non-government agencies. She is an activist in the Homes not Prisons campaign in Victoria.Megan PearceVLAMegan has spent much of her career working alongside criminalised people, particularly women and children. Having started her career as a criminal defence lawyer at Legal Aid Queensland, Megan has also led major law reform inquiries into Victoria's criminal trial process and child protection system.Between 2018 and 2022, Megan worked at Darebin Community Legal Centre (which merged with Fitzroy Legal Service in 2019), first managing the Women Transforming Justice project and then Fitzroy Legal Service's Social Action and Public Interest Law team. In both these roles Megan contributed to program design and advocacy work aimed at disrupting the cycle of women's criminalisation. In July 2022 Megan commenced a role at Victoria Legal Aid focusing on discrimination and equality law.In 2013-14, Megan also completed a master of laws at the University of Toronto, where her thesis critiqued the effectiveness of human rights frameworks to respond to violence against womenElena CampbellCIJAssociate Director of Research, Advocacy & Policy, Centre for Innovative Justice, RMIT University. Elena is a lawyer, writer and former political staffer who has worked in legal and social policy for over two decades. Elena's expertise includes therapeutic justice, court interventions, the impacts of crime victimisation and the prevention and elimination of violence against women and children.  At the CIJ, Elena oversees a program of research which predominantly focuses on family violence, court interventions, crime victimisation and the way in which experiences of trauma - including structural and systemic trauma - can push vulnerable cohorts, particularly women, into contact with the criminal justice system. Elena has led projects for Government departments and courts to support the implementation of recommendations from Victoria's Royal Commission into Family Violence. Elena has also been Principal Chief Investigator in multiple, ANROWS-funded projects looking at the use of violence by young people and adults.  Previously Elena worked as a legal adviser and staffer in the Victorian Government for over a decade. Elena has also been employed as a consultant for a range of social policy and justice organisations, including the Australian Human Rights Commission.  Panel 2: Nina StoreyHNP and WTJNina is an unapologetic criminalized survivor. Having experienced state sanctioned violence she now spends her time advocating for the rights of criminalized survivors. Nina would love to see the abolishment of the prison industrial complex in her lifetime.  Her systemic advocacy commenced in 2018 as a member of the Women's Transforming Justice Project. Nina now sits on the council of Victim Survivors Advisory Council, is a member of the Expert Advisory Panel at Safe and Equal, a WEAVER for research group at Melbourne University and sits on the steering committee of the Homes Not Prisons Campaign. Nina stands in solidarity with the traditional owners of these lands and acknowledges they have the solutions to living in a world of unity, we must make space and elevate their voices for their stories to be told and shared.      Nina lives works and plays in Millowl, Phillip island on the lands of the Bunurong people of the Kulin nations, with her son and Kelpie.   Jacqui BamptonWTJ Jacqui is a formally incarcerated woman who has worked with Fitzroy Legal Service as part of the Women's Leadership Group. She lives with anxiety and mental health concerns, and has previously struggled with substance dependency and homelessness. Jacqui is deeply passionate about working alongside other criminalised people, with a particular interest in supporting women to navigate child protection. Jacqui is a warm advocate, loyal friend and proud single mum.   Sara-Michelle StilianosSara is an active member of several community groups and organisations aimed at ending incarceration – including as a Homes Not Prisons steering committee member and – previously – as part of Fitzroy Legal Service's Women Transforming Justice project. Sara has lived experienced of criminalisation and incarceration. She's driven toward social change and is a fierce advocate for abolishing the carceral system and it's supporting structures, which only serve to perpetuate further harm and violence by exerting power and control over people's lives. Alongside studying a Bachelor Degree in Social Science, Sara stands in solidarity with all oppressed women and continues to fight for the rights of women and children. 

Headlines:- refugee resettlement program - VALS Raise the Age seminae this Thursday - Taliban closes recently opened girls' schools We revisit Phuong's conversation with Heather Corinna, founder and director of Scarleteen about the importance of comprehensive and inclusive sex and consent education.  Phuong speaks with Angelique Wan, CEO, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Consent Labs, about the need for a new classification to inform viewers of scenes depicting lack of consent in TV shows and films.More info at https://www.classifyconsent.com.au/ Kannagi speaks with Elicia Savvas, Associate Director of Child Protection at Victoria Legal Aid, who is advocating for the implementation of this Framework to Reduce Criminalisation of Young People in Residential Care.We discuss the media onslaught and rolling coverage surrounding the Queen's death and appointment of King Charles last week. Touching on topics like Australian republic future, Indigenous Treaty, the day of mourning and the ongoing consequences of colonisation. Songs:Sugarcoat - Ash LuneOh No - Jem Cassar-DaleyMoon Baby - Liyah KnightU.N.I.T.Y - Queen Latifah

Chronically Chilled speaks with Mental Health advocate Simon Katterl to discuss his work in improving the Mental Health system, an update on the Royal Commision and how we can have better public conversations about Mental Health. Simon Katterl is a lived experience workforce member who has worked in community development, advocacy, regulation, and law reform. Simon's work is grounded in his lived experience of mental health issues, as well as his studies in law, politics, psychology and regulation. Simon previously worked for the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, the Mental Health Complaints Commissioner, Victoria Legal Aid, RMIT University, Griffith University and the University of Melbourne. He now provides consultancy to several agencies, including the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System. Simon's research has focused on human rights breaches within mental health systems and the shortcomings of regulatory oversight processes. You can follow Simon on Twitter: @SimonKatterl and/or visit his website Simon Katterl Consulting

His Honour Magistrate Tony Parsons ran his own criminal law firm for many years, was head of Victoria Legal Aid and has just completed eight years as Supervising Magistrate of the Victorian Drug Court. Tony originally studied science and was very active in student politics at Monash University in the 70's. He spent years advocating for drug law reform while driving taxis and didn't come to the law until his late 20's, viewing it as a pathway to politics. Little did he know that all that real world experience, combined with his love of the law would make him the perfect candidate for Supervising Magistrate of the Drug Court. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast

Headlines:-LGBTIQ+ communities a key national focus ahead of women's safety summit meeting -Paid FV leave -Victorian public hospitals could not prevent doctors from providing abortions under new bill -Ditch “Naarmcore”: Clothing the Gaps on the Problematic New Tiktok Term for a Melbourne Fashion Style -FDPN survey -RIP Archie Roach Phuong speaks with Melanie Schleiger, a discrimination lawyer at Victoria Legal Aid, to give us a legal perspective on the restricted use of NDAs in workplace harrassment cases. We revisit a conversation that Vivien had on the Climate Action Show with Christine Milne and Peg Putt about the recent State of the Environment Report. We revisit a conversation Kannagi had with Gemma Cafarella, a barrister who practises in public law, including discrimination and sexual harassment matters. Gemma has endometriosis and adenomyosis and advocates for people who menstruate to be treated better within the workplace. Music Archie Roach - Old Mission RoadCamp Cope - Seventeen Going Under (like a version Triple J)

Throughout his Life in the Law, Julian Gardner AM was a founding member of the iconic Fitzroy Legal Service, the inaugural director of Victoria Legal Aid, co-edited the first incarnation of The Law Handbook and served as The Public Advocate. And that's only the half of it! www.greenlist.com.au/podcast

 Acknowledgement of Country// Headlines// Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) held a discussion on Tuesday 28 September about the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Act 2021, which gives broad powers to federal police and intelligence agencies to spy on, disrupt and modify communications. We play a segment featuring lawyer and human rights advocate Angus Murray discussing the legislation and notions of relevant offences and reasonable suspicion, with comments from host Jordan Brown from MALS. MALS has published an explainer on the act, which you can read here.// Victoria Legal Aid has operated Independent Family Advocacy and Support or IFAS, a non-legal advocacy support service for parents in the early stages of child protection involvement, since 2018. Today, we are joined by Chloe*, a member of the IFAS reference group, to speak about the role and importance of the service. *Name changed for privacy.// Jazz Money is a poet and artist of Wiradjuri heritage, currently based on sovereign Gadigal land. Her poetry has been published widely and reimagined as murals, installations, digital interventions and film. She joins us to discuss her award winning debut poetry collection 'how to make a basket'.// Sabina, co-founder of the Australian Anti-Racism Kit, joins us to speak about the recent launch of the kit, which is the first of its kind and targeted at Australian high school students. Sabina is a migrant woman of colour who recently graduated high school. You can follow the Anti-Racism Kit on Instagram at @antiracismkit.// Frankie Lai from WEstJustice discusses the ‘Ignorance is NOT bliss' report, which was published on Tuesday 28 September and focuses on the barriers to employment access for young people in Melbourne's west and how to overcome them. Frankie is a member of the Employment and Equality Law Program at WEstjustice, and has co-coordinated the International Students Work Rights Legal Service, managed and completed the Infographics Project and most recently managed the Youth Employment Justice Project. Frankie is strongly committed to improving access to fair, safe and decent work for all vulnerable workers.//

This week we revisit our conversation with lawyer Daniel Ajak. At 13, Daniel left the Kenyan refugee camp he grew up in with his sister and a suitcase, bound for Australia. He had never left the camp before, let alone boarded a plane or been overseas. A few days later he landed in Australia and would not see his parents again for 12 years. Daniel's upbringing, work ethic, tenacity, community and vision all guided him to a dynamic Life in the Law, including working at Victoria Legal Aid and starting his own legal practice Ajak, Wolan & Associates with partner Natasha Wolan. Daniel is an active member of the Australia African community and it was an absolute pleasure to have him on the show.

Episode no. 58 features Roger Smith, Author of Law, Technology and Access to Justice blog. Our discussion covers: How Roger first became interested in law, tech and atj; How Australia led the world in legaltech; How cuts to legal aid meant it was imperative to turn to tehcnology; Why Roger started the blog in 2016 and who forms the law, tech and atj community; The one key issue Roger sees with developing and implementing legal technology; Victoria Legal Aid's evaluation of a ‘dud' project; His optimism /pessimism about technology and what it means for law; An early example of world-leading innovation, legal design and international collaboration from The Netherlands; How hackathons can be a way of supporting entrepreneurs in developing countries; The biggest changes Roger has observed over the past decade; The various clusters of innovation including remote working, reaching more people through remote information delivery; unbundling and assisted DIY, case management software, intakes and referrals; How case management could assist litigants; Why he says we reached peak justice in 2008; Structural issues which work against streamlining global legal delivery; Who are the leaders in access to justice strategy and technology; Whether the level of legal need will tip the adoption and demand for a global strategy; Roger's views on regulatory reform (on unauthorised practice of law and fee-sharing (USA)); The mission of the International Legal Aid Group, what will be covered in the upcoming conference and its 3 key policy achievements; 2 benefits of collaborating across jurisdictions; and Roger's definition of legal innovation! Proudly sponsored by Neota Logic Links: Law, Technology and Access to Justice blog International Legal Aid Group Conference Rechtwjizer Research reveals the impact of Covid 19 on tribunal hearings Neota Logic Feedspot

His Honour Magistrate Tony Parsons ran his own criminal law firm for many years, was head of Victoria Legal Aid and has just completed eight years as Supervising Magistrate of the Victorian Drug Court. Tony originally studied science and was very active in student politics at Monash University in the 70’s. He spent years advocating for drug law reform while driving taxis and didn’t come to the law until his late 20’s, viewing it as a pathway to politics. Little did he know that all that real world experience, combined with his love of the law would make him the perfect candidate for Supervising Magistrate of the Drug Court. www.greenslist.com.au/podcast

Throughout his Life in the Law, Julian Gardner AM was a founding member of the iconic Fitzroy Legal Service, the inaugural director of Victoria Legal Aid, co-edited the first incarnation of The Law Handbook and served as The Public Advocate. And that’s only the half of it! www.greenlist.com.au/podcast

Retired Federal Circuit Court Judge Judy Small is without question our most unique, and broadly qualified guest we have had on this program. Judy grew up right here in Coffs Harbour and went on to become a globe-trotting folk singer. She also had a lengthy career as a family lawyer, working for a decade with Victoria Legal Aid and then as a Federal Circuit Court Judge. We were regaled with stories of Judy's upbringing on the Coffs Coast and her life as a singer and then "got serious" about family law and discussed the following issues: 1. Reforms to family law in the 1980s that changed the focus of the law, particularly relating to family violence 2. Judy's thoughts on reform still needed, particularly for Aboriginal and migrant communities. 3. Discretion for family law judges: liberating or frustrating. 4. Dealing with "he-said", "she-said" from the bench 5. Judy's advice to someone entering the family law system for the first time: · Make sure you are safe. · Understand that you are not alone. · Have a lawyer that you trust, and who cares.

In this episode Andrew from Victoria Legal Aid explains the legalities of sexting. We talk through some scenarios that young people often ask about. Understanding sexting and the law is a great way to get this conversation started at home.  Note: laws vary between states. Victorian laws are explained in this episode.  Resources: Victoria Legal Aid for simple explanations of the law. VLA education kit for teachers called ‘Sex, young people and the law’. Youth Law Australia for all states and territories in Australia. The eSafety Commissioner for reporting image-based abuse & illegal and harmful content. Victoria Police for information on reporting a sexual crime.  Our previous episode on consent for more details on how we talk about this with young people. More information about fpv go to fpv.org.au. 

In this episode Clare from Victoria Legal Aid talks through the laws about sex that young people should know. These include age of consent, laws around viewing pornography, and explanations of grooming. Resources: Go to Victoria Legal Aid for explanations of the law 1300 792 387. VLA education kit for teachers called ‘Sex, young people and the law’. Youth Law Australia for state-based laws in Australia.  Victoria Police provides information on reporting a sexual crime.  Our previous episode on consent for more details on talking about this with young people. Clare recommends Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800, Sexual Assault Crisis Line run by CASA 1800 806 292.More information about fpv go to fpv.org.au.

In this episode, we talk to Ms Peta Murphy MP, Member for Dunkley, about engaging the Australian voters in the political discourse. Topics covered include: - The history of Louisa Dunkley - The inspiration to start a career in politics - The importance of experience in areas of policy as a policy writer - How making a joke in the public sphere can somewhat backfire - The platform politicians have to talk about personal issues which reflect similar issues experienced by those in the broader community - The need for an equitable healthcare system - Dealing with ongoing health issues - The importance of politicians engaging with their community - The issues with Newstart and NDIS - How important it is for young girls to have female role models in Parliament House - How young people can engage their local politician around climate change - The need to revitalise our education and training system in line with the developments to automation - Why human connection is so important - Why Australians should have hope for the future About Ms Murphy: Peta Murphy is the first woman to represent Dunkley, a seat named after a pioneering women who achieved equal pay for women in the 1902 Public Service Act - Louisa Dunkley. Peta is proudly a public school graduate from the country.  Her love affair with Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula dates back to the turn of the century, when she was introduced to the region by her husband, Rod Glover, a Baxter boy through and through.  Following a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2011, Peta and Rod made the decision to move to Dunkley permanently – a decision they describe as the best one they ever made.  They are proud Frankston residents. Prior to entering Parliament, Peta's career was defined by a commitment to social justice and strong communities. In the decade and a half she worked in the Victorian justice system, Peta volunteered at her local Community Legal Centre, was a solicitor advocate, a Senior Public Defender at Victoria Legal Aid, a Barrister and a Team Leader at the Victorian Law Reform Commission. Peta has seen the corrosive effect that intergenerational disadvantage can have on people, families and communities and the way the operation of the legal system can cause further distress and damage to people when they're at their lowest. She understands that we need services—legal, social, health, employment and education—that work together to tackle disadvantage. It's that task that motivated her to move from the law into politics. Peta also put her legal qualifications and personal experience of the health system to good use, serving as a Director on the Board of Peninsula Health. After running as the Labor candidate for Dunkley in the 2016 election, and motivated by witnessing the damage that cuts to public services and a lack of job opportunities cause individuals and communities, Peta took the position of Chief of Staff to The Hon Brendan O'Connor, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations in 2017. As part of her life long involvement in sport – as an athlete, coach and advocate for equality for girls and women - Peta has served as the President of Squash Victoria, Vice President of Squash Australia and member of the World Squash Federation Governance Committee.  Locally, she volunteered on the Peninsula Waves Netball Club committee, and has represented the Mornington Peninsula a number of times at the Victorian country squash championships.  She still tries to play squash when time permits, but is more or less resigned to the fact that her best days of competitive sport are behind her. Peta's ambitions for her time in the Federal Parliament are to be a strong voice for her community and to be part of a generation of Australian politicians who work to recover the public's faith in our democratic system. Peta believes that politics should be a vehicle for increasing opportunities and enlarging our national imagination.

Consumer leadership and engagement will be crucial to successfully build a better and fairer mental health system in Victoria. Victoria Legal Aid recently completed a project, 'Your Story, Your Say', which allowed 34 people with lived experience to share their experience with the Mental Health Royal Commission. We spoke with the project's coordinator, Simon Katterl, about the important expert evidence the project was able to deliver. You can read more about the final report and recommendations here: https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/your-story-your-say-experiences-of-mental-health-system

This evening we discussed where to find reliable legal information responding to COVID-19. This is especially important at the moment, when face to face community legal education delivery is not available or only available in a limited way, things are changing so fast and people are often unsure where to look and are relying on untrustworthy sources. We will also look at some resources specifically for young people.We were lucky to be joined by:Amala Ramarathinam, Senior Lawyer with YouthlawMark Tregonning, Community Legal Education Coordinator with Victoria Legal AidKirsten Young, Community Engagement Officer with Peninsula Community Legal CentreSummary of resources discussed:Legal information relating to COVID-19 across a number of areas of law Youthlaw's website for young people: http://youthlaw.asn.au/home/legal-issues-during-covid-19/Victoria Legal Aid's website: https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/find-legal-answers/covid-19-coronavirusJustice Connect's page dedicated to COVID-19 related legal information in the areas of tenancy, employment, financial troubles, accessing the courts and understanding the emergency powers: https://justiceconnect.org.au/help/covid19/Tenancy or housing problems during COVID-19Tenants Victoria’s website features up to date information about the impact of COVID-19 on tenants’ rights and responsibilities: https://www.tenantsvic.org.au/advice/coronavirus-covid-19/​​​​Employment problems during COVID-19JobWatch has some very helpful Q&A resources on their website answering questions about a number of common employment issues that have arisen as a result of COVID-19: http://jobwatch.org.au/. JobWatch also runs a free and confidential Telephone Information Service for workers in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm and until 8:30 pm every Wednesday evening. You can call 1800 331 617, Melbourne Time Applies.For international students struggling due to COVID-19Inner Melbourne Community Legal has developed a website containing legal information tailored to your needs in a number of languages: https://ishelp.org.au.For trouble paying bills or mounting debts due to COVID-19Consumer Action has a number of self-help resources on their website: www.consumeraction.org.au. or you can call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 Monday to Friday 9:30am to 4:30pm.If you have been fined during the pandemicPeninsula Community Legal Centre's Fines Work & Development Permit (WDP) app: https://melbournelaw.neotalogic.com/a/WDPFitzroy Legal Service operates a COVID-19 policing legal advice line: 0434 136 501 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. COVID-19 fines information will also shortly be available on Fitzroy Legal Service’s website: www.fitzroy-legal.org.au. Moonee Valley Legal Service’s Fine Fixer tool: www.finefixer.org.au.   If you have been stopped by police during the COVID-19 pandemic and want to know your rights or feel that police have done the wrong thing, you can access resources and make a report: https://covidpolicing.org.au/* All of these resources are for Victoria only unless specified otherwise. Current as at 25 August 2020. 

Tim Marsh defends people we call monsters. He’s Chief Counsel at Victoria Legal Aid, and in the last year alone he’s represented 2 men charged with crimes that rocked the nation. Tim joins us to tell us why he does it, how he copes with it, and about the surprising encounter with a victim’s family member that devastated him. Warning: please be advised this episode contains graphic content.Show notes for Episode 143:Your hosts are Meshel Laurie and Emily WebbWith thanks to Tim Marsh.Like us on Facebook ​Follow us on Instagram or TwitterSupport us on PatreonVisit our BookshopListen on Apple PodcastsListen on Google PodcastsListen on SpotifyIf you have any information on the cases covered by this podcast, please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.Thank you for listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the federal government announces an overhaul to the controversial Robodebt scheme, Victoria Legal Aid's Charley Brumby-Rendell explains what heralded the move.And with increasing reports of clashes between police and protesters, Gregor Husper from the Police Accountability Project lays down some much needed reforms.

Following our chat with Fiona Patten earlier this year about her bill proposing a spent convictions scheme for Victoria, the Victorian Legislative Council’s Legal and Social Issues Committee has commenced a public inquiry into a legislated spent convictions scheme for Victoria. We take another look at spent convictions and why they're such a good idea.https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/we-support-spent-convictions-schemeGuest:Kamna Muddagouni, Senior Lawyer, Equality Law Program, Victoria Legal Aid

On Thursday, 31 January our panel of speakers thrashed out the issues surrounding women in politics. Are setting affirmative-action quotas the answer to boosting female representation? Or is a merit-based system of choosing candidates a better option? Are claims of a bullying culture inside the Liberal Party true? Is Labor playing the gender card and identity politics? Who's had better policies on improving the lives of women? Labor or the Coalition? Ticky Fullerton (moderator), formerly with the ABC and Sky News, anchors Ticky, weeknights on Your Money. Karina Okotel is a senior civil lawyer at Victoria Legal Aid and a federal vice president of the Liberal Party. Eugenie Joseph is a senior policy analyst at The Centre for Independent Studies. Kristina Keneally, a former NSW premier, is a Labor senator for NSW. Follow the CIS on Twitter @CISOZ or find us on Facebook 'The Centre for Independent Studies' for more updates. cis.org.au

Tuesday Breakfast 22 Jan 2019 Summer Skool ep 3: Feminism  7.00 am  Acknowledgement of Country7.10 am  We talk to Rosie Kalina, a visual artist and proud Wemba Wemba and Gunditjmara woman with a large national and international Instagram following as @rosiekalina. Rosie works in fashion, television & film, editorial and live events including ABC TV’s Warriors series, shoots for PUMA, Pandora and was selected as one the Top 10 Instagrammers in 2018 by Huffington Post. Rosie shares her thoughts on intersectional feminism and explains why centering black women and fems - those most at disadavantage - benefits all women.   7.25 am We hear from Aunty Janet Turpie -Johnstone, an Aboriginal elder, academic and storyteller. Aunty Janet is a Board Member at Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place and at Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service. She talks about rewriting the story of place and country. 7.35 am (Parts 1 and 2 with a short break in between) Dr Jordana Silverstein, Academic, Historical and Philosophical Studies, and Jewish woman, joins us to talk about feminism 101 - the definitions, the waves, and whether or not it is too Western to be broadly effective.8.05 am (Parts 1 and 2 with a short break in between) We chat to Kamna Muddagouni - writer, Senior Lawyer in the Equality Law Program at Victoria Legal Aid, and Board Member of Fair Agenda. Kamna joins us in a discussion about intersections between feminism and the legal system.8.30 am End.

Tuesday Breakfast - 02 October 2018with Ayan, Lauren and Anya (we miss you George!)7.00 am  Acknowledgement of Country7:02 am  Welcome to show + News headlines 7.10 am  Jacob from Public Housing Defence Network (PHDN) shares the latest news about the Public Housing Renewal Program. He also discusses the upcoming public meeting organised by PHDN at Brunswick Town Hallon 4th of October at 7pm. 7.20 am Community Announcements7.30 am   Mona Eltahawy on BBC News Night  discussing the #metoo movement and calls on white white feminists to "disrupt, disobey and defy patriarchy". 7.45 am Alternative News8.00 am Jaimee joins us over the phone to talk about Women in Music Empowerment Day (WIMED) 2018 - WIMED returns in 2018 for an all-day inclusive event at Miss Peaches, Newtown NSW, on October 7, celebrating and empowering women, non-binary people and minority groups in our diverse music community.8.10 am  Melanie Schleiger, the Equality Law Program Manager at Victoria Legal Aid chats to us about VLA's thoughts on updating sexual harassment laws.8.30am End Songsartist: Rihanna ft SZAsong: Considerationartist: Solangesong: Cranes in the Skyartist: Sia ft Kendrick Lamarsong: The Greatestartist: SZAsong: The Weekend artist: Kaitt song: OG Luv Kush p.2artist: Jean Seizure song: Night artist: Christine Anu song: My Island Home

Being new to Australia often means adapting to a new language but also to new laws and possible fines. It can be difficult to understand why you get fines, how to pay them or how to dispute them. There's support for those who need it to dispute fines and understand the legal system better. If you have questions or need help regarding fines, contact Legal Aid. Each Australian state has a phone number you can call to receive free advice. Useful links: Law Week www.everyday-law.org.au/law-week Legal Aid NSW www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/ Helpline: 1300 888 529 Victoria Legal Aid www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/ Helpline: 1300 792 387 Legal Aid WA www.legalaid.wa.gov.au Helpline: 1300 650 579 Legal Aid Queensland www.legalaid.qld.gov.au Helpline: 1300 651 188 Legal Aid ACT www.legalaidact.org.au/ Helpline: 1300 654 314 Legal Aid Tasmania www.legalaid.tas.gov.au/ Helpline: 1300 366 611 Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission www.ntlac.nt.gov.au/ Helpline: 1800 019 343 - Australia ram ah mipem thar vun si, holh thiam lo ruangah le upadi hngalhlo tik ah, mah le khuasak tintuknak cioah, mah-le-khap cio in harnak phunphun ton cio a si. Upadi lei in daantatnak catlap tete zong don khawh mi a si. Zeiruang ahdah hi daantatnak ka ton ti zong a hngalh lomi kan um lai. Cun, zeitindah dantatnak hi pekning asi ti le zeitindah hi daantatnak hi ka doh khawh lai ti zong a hngalh lomi tampi kan um lai. Dantatnak na donmi kongah ka palhlo na ti I, doh na duh tik hna ah asilole, Australia ram upadi sining hi tamdeuh hngalh a duhmi caah bawmhkhawhnak lam a um ko. Na leiba kongah asilole dantatnak ca na don mi kongah tamdeuh hngalh na duh asi le, bawmh na herh ahcun, na umnak khualipi ah a ummi legal Aid sin ah bawmhnak hal hna. An zung number le an website cu a tanglei bantuk hi an si. Law Week www.everyday-law.org.au/law-week Legal Aid NSW www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/ Helpline: 1300 888 529 Victoria Legal Aid www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/ Helpline: 1300 792 387 Legal Aid WA www.legalaid.wa.gov.au Helpline: 1300 650 579 Legal Aid Queensland www.legalaid.qld.gov.au Helpline: 1300 651 188 Legal Aid ACT www.legalaidact.org.au/ Helpline: 1300 654 314 Legal Aid Tasmania www.legalaid.tas.gov.au/ Helpline: 1300 366 611 Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission www.ntlac.nt.gov.au/ Helpline: 1800 019 343

Victoria Legal Aid's Lucy Geddes, Lawyer Mental Health and Disability Law Program, was interviewed on ABC’s 774 Drive program about the decision for all charges to be dropped against her client Francis. Francis became a Victoria Legal Aid client after NDIS-funded disability service providers withdrew services from him. The 20 year old, who has intellectual disability and autism ended up spending a total of 180 days in custody because there was nowhere suitable for him to go on release. He was isolated from other prisoners, spending any time outside his cell in handcuffs. We are continuing our call for governments to work together and establish a clear and reliable framework which will ensure that NDIS participants have access to their funded disability supports when the market fails Read more about this important case here: http://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/all-charges-dropped-against-our-ndis-client-francis

This week on Brainwaves, the team talked to Hamish McLachlan who is a managing lawyer of the Mental Health Program at Victoria Legal Aid. We discussed the issues in legal representation of people with mental health issues and the problems this creates in the community.For more information on Victoria Legal Aid visit www.legalaid.vic.gov.au or contact 1300 792 387 to get help with a legal problem.

The outgoing Managing Director Bevan Warner was interviewed by ABC 774 radio about his reflections as he prepares to step down after a decade leading Victoria Legal Aid.

Tuesday Breakfast April 3rdwith Ayan, George, Lauren & Anya7.00am  Acknowledgement of Country7.05am News of the Week7.15am  Lauren speaks to Sonia Law, Manager of the Mental Health and Disability Advocacy Program at Victoria Legal Aid, to discuss Victoria Legal Aid's ongoing advocacy work related to improving the NDIS and highlighting some of the significant ways it is currently failing Legal Aid's clients.7.30am George speaks to Lee Carnie from the Human Rights Law Centre, regarding recent reforms in Victoria to deliver marriage equality to trans people. 7.45am George speaks with Nick Carson, a genderqueer, trans femme educator in Naarm from MESEJ ,to discuss a workshop on constructing and deconstructing gender in education and what we can do to dismantle oppressive gender systems towards creating safer learning spaces for LGBTIQA+ people.8.00am Erik Ly is a RISE member and is the support services and foodbank coordinator at RISE. Ayan and Erik discuss the government's cut backs on income support for asylum seekers. 8.20am We play a video that members of RISE have produced in consultation with First Nations peoples - a solidarity statement which calls for all supporters to boycott the Stolenwealth (“commonwealth”) Games which is to be held in Queensland, Australia in April 2018.Musicartist: Ibeyi song: No Man is Big Enough for my Arms artist: Solangesong: Scales artist: Noname song: Sunny Duet ft. The Mind artist: Sampa the Great song: Revolution

This week Kulja and Dylan speak with Jason Ball, 2017 young Australian of the Year, about the upcoming postal vote on same-sex marriageThen, Ronald Holmes, associate professor of political science at De La Salle University comes on the show to talk about the president of the Philippines and his controversial anti-drug policiesFinally, Hamish McLachlan from Victoria Legal Aid, comes on the show to talk about representing people in the supreme court over the Mental Health Act

Meena Singh joins Writs and Cures to discuss the work of Aboriginal Services at Victoria Legal Aid.

Meena Singh joins Writs and Cures to discuss the work of Aboriginal Services at Victoria Legal Aid.

This edition of our Access to Justice podcast discusses bringing legal assistance to thousands of asylum seekers affected by changes to Commonwealth law in 2014. Their claims for protection became collectively known as the legacy caseload. You will hear from the Executive Director of Refugee Legal, David Manne, our Executive Director of Civil Justice, Access and Equity Dan Nicholson, Senior Lawyer with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Arti Chetty and migration agent and specialist lawyer Carina Ford of Carina Ford Immigration Lawyers. Presenter – Louis Bennett. Download the transcript – https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/sites/www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/files/vla-access-to-justice-podcast-the-legacy-caseload-initiative.docx

Speakers from the Means Test Review briefing event 10 August 2016: Bevan Warner, Managing Director, Victoria Legal Aid; Mary Sayers, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Social Services; Steven Sapountsis, President, Law Institute of Victoria; Belinda Lo, Chairperson, Federation of Community Legal Centres. We are reviewing the way we assess financial eligibility for grants of legal assistance because we want to make sure that people in need have access to justice. We aim to expand eligibility and make our means test simple to understand, flexible, efficient to administer, financially sustainable and fair. Find out more at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/thousands-of-victorians-who-miss-out-on-legal-aid-focus-of-means-test-review

Speakers from the Means Test Review briefing event 10 August 2016: Bevan Warner, Managing Director, Victoria Legal Aid; Mary Sayers, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Social Services; Steven Sapountsis, President, Law Institute of Victoria; Belinda Lo, Chairperson, Federation of Community Legal Centres. We are reviewing the way we assess financial eligibility for grants of legal assistance because we want to make sure that people in need have access to justice. We aim to expand eligibility and make our means test simple to understand, flexible, efficient to administer, financially sustainable and fair. Find out more at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/thousands-of-victorians-who-miss-out-on-legal-aid-focus-of-means-test-review

Speakers from the Means Test Review briefing event 10 August 2016: Bevan Warner, Managing Director, Victoria Legal Aid; Mary Sayers, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Social Services; Steven Sapountsis, President, Law Institute of Victoria; Belinda Lo, Chairperson, Federation of Community Legal Centres. We are reviewing the way we assess financial eligibility for grants of legal assistance because we want to make sure that people in need have access to justice. We aim to expand eligibility and make our means test simple to understand, flexible, efficient to administer, financially sustainable and fair. Find out more at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/thousands-of-victorians-who-miss-out-on-legal-aid-focus-of-means-test-review

Speakers from the Means Test Review briefing event 10 August 2016: Bevan Warner, Managing Director, Victoria Legal Aid; Mary Sayers, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Social Services; Steven Sapountsis, President, Law Institute of Victoria; Belinda Lo, Chairperson, Federation of Community Legal Centres. We are reviewing the way we assess financial eligibility for grants of legal assistance because we want to make sure that people in need have access to justice. We aim to expand eligibility and make our means test simple to understand, flexible, efficient to administer, financially sustainable and fair. Find out more at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/thousands-of-victorians-who-miss-out-on-legal-aid-focus-of-means-test-review

Bevan Warner's speech at Victoria Legal Aid on 6 June 2016 at the 'Unveiling of acknowledgement plaque morning tea' for National Reconciliation Week 2016. Read more about our Reconciliation Plan http://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/holding-ourselves-to-account-progress-under-our-first-reconciliation-action-plan

In one of the largest studies of its kind, Victoria Legal Aid examined more than 15,000 clients charged with breaching family violence intervention orders. On 18 February 2016, Attorney-General, the Honourable Martin Pakula and our Managing Director Bevan Warner launched the new research report. This was followed by a panel discussion with Deputy Chief Magistrate Felicity Broughton, Magistrates’ Court of Victoria Supervising Magistrate for Family Violence and Family Law; Assistant Police Commissioner Dean McWhirter, Victoria Police Head of Family Violence Command; No to Violence Chief Executive Officer Jacqui Watt; Safe Steps Chief Executive Officer Annette Gillespie. Listen to the highlights of their discussion, presented by Alison Caldwell, as the panel explore the significance of the research.