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First Nations People Walk in Two Worlds. Why can’t the Justice Response Systems do the Same? (VIRTUAL)

Tracks
Sprinbrook Room One
Friday, December 3, 2021
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Overview

Melisa Coveney, North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service


Speaker

Ms Melisa Coveney
Principal Lawyer
North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service

First Nations People Walk in Two Worlds. Why can’t the Justice Response Systems do the Same? (VIRTUAL)

Abstract

The North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Services provides legal and non-legal support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote Top End communities who have experienced domestic and family violence.
First Nations women across Australia experience much higher rates of domestic and family violence than non-Indigenous women. The Northern Territory specifically has among the highest rates of domestic and family violence in the country. In 2018/2019, the rates of homicide by domestic partner were four times the rate of the national average.
The current justice response system to domestic and family violence is not working. It is an ongoing legacy of colonisation that continues to perpetrate harm on First Nations people and communities. Entrenched racism means that reports of serious violence against First Nations women are often disregarded and victim-survivors are left unprotected. Once complaints are taken seriously they tend to result in harsh punishments of offenders which sometimes does not reflect the wishes of the victim-survivor and has not resulted in reduced rate of violence. Funding is directed to the later response systems such as removal of children and incarceration of offenders rather than early support systems designed to prevent violence. This means that the cycle of trauma continues.
Various community lead initiatives focussing on education and empowerment have had some success in reducing rates of violence. NAAFLS proposes that meaningful change, meaning significant reduction of domestic and family violence, cannot be achieved without acknowledgement that the current Government response system is actively harmful and needs drastic change. And, while First Nations people should not be responsible for fixing a problem thrusted upon them, their voices should be heard the loudest in developing an effective system. Meaningful engagement to develop regional specific, grass roots responses is the only way to reduce the devastating rates of domestic and family violence perpetrated on First Nations women in Australia.

3 Key Learnings:
1. The experience of First Nations people in the DFV justice response system
2. How the current system perpetuates harm against First Nations people
3. How the justice response system needs to change to reduce rates of DFV in First Nations communities

Biography

1. Melisa Coveney, principal legal officer, North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service Melisa Coveney: Melisa was first admitted as a lawyer in NSW and joined NAAFLS in 2017. Since her admission, Melisa has worked in the social justice sector with victim-survivors of domestic and family violence. Melisa is currently the Principal Lawyer at North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service which is one of the national Family Violence Prevention Legal Services. NAAFLS provides services to over 40 remote communities across the top end. Melisa has a particular interest in pushing for change for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people and their interaction with the justice system and the interaction with their own culture and belief systems.

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