NSW: highest number of Indigenous deaths in custody ever recorded in a single year
In 2025, New South Wales has already seen 12 Indigenous people die while in custody, marking the highest number ever recorded in a single year.
State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan described the milestone as “profoundly distressing,” emphasising that these are not mere statistics but individual lives, and declared that each death “demands independent and careful scrutiny.”
ASC rules strip searching female prisoner illegal breach of human rights
The ACT Supreme Court has determined that the human rights of an Aboriginal woman detained at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) were breached when she was subjected to two strip-searches in 2021. These searches were ruled to have violated the ACT Human Rights Act, affirming that even in custody, individual dignity must not be disregarded.
Justice Delayed: Mr Irving Wins Malicious Prosecution Case, 32 Years On
The Supreme Court of Queensland has awarded $130,000 in damages to Indigenous man Mr Terry Irving, more than three decades after he was first wrongfully charged by police.
Court finds Police Used Excessive Force on Aboriginal Man in Wheelchair
Judge Macdonald of the Darwin Magistrates’ Court found that Senior Constable Abbas used “clearly and obviously excessive, unreasonable and unlawful” force when he dragged Aboriginal man Mr Cebu from his wheelchair at the Palmerston markets.
Unfinished Business: ALRM’s Review of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
In July 2025, the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) released its report Unfinished Business: A Review of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC).
NSW Coroner Calls for Better Prison–Family Communication After Mr. Brown’s Death
A recent coronial inquest into the tragic death in custody of 28-year-old Lathan Brown has highlighted a glaring failure in how NSW Correctional Services notified his family during his final hours.