Agenda

• As NSW undertakes its Treaty consultation process, what opportunities does treaty-making create to reshape the relationship between First Nations peoples and the justice system?

• Explore how a treaty could support Aboriginal self-determination and enable community-led justice solutions that address systemic drivers of over-incarceration

Naomi Moran, NSW Treaty Commissioner, NSW Government

• How can Aboriginal-led organisations intervene early to prevent contact with the justice system and disrupt cycles of intergenerational harm?

• Hear how community-controlled programs are addressing the root causes of justice involvement , including domestic and family violence, trauma, disconnection from culture, and limited access to opportunity.

Carly Stanley, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Wundirra

• If early contact with the justice system is driven by structural inequality, intergenerational trauma and systemic racism, how can governments and justice institutions intervene earlier to prevent First Nations people from entering the system in the first place?

• Explore how upstream, cross-portfolio prevention (i.e. family support, therapeutic services, housing stability, education and employment) can reduce first-time justice contact

Ragina Rogers, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Indigenous Governance Institute (AIGI)

Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney

Melissa Clarke, Strategic Director, First Nations Advocates Against Family Violence (FNAAFV)

• Identify points in the justice process where bias affects First Nations people and explore practical reforms to reduce over-representation

• Highlight solutions like Specialist Indigenous Lists, culturally-informed court practices, and improvements in discretionary decision-making to improve outcomes

Hon Robert McClelland, Deputy Chief Judge, Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia & Former Attorney General, Australian Government

• Youth-led advocacy through Mounty Yarns, including their official film, where Aboriginal young people share lived-experience stories and solutions for justice system reform

• Gain insights on community-led interventions to prevent incarceration, including sport programs, youth assistance at police custody and bail, fines reform, and community planning

Daniel Daylight, Community Manager, Just Reinvest NSW

Julie Williams, Community Engagement Lead, Just Reinvest NSW

• How are Murri Courts, Community Justice Groups, and Elders contributing to more effective, culturally-informed justice outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people? How can the different jurisdictions all be learning from each other? What is the scope to expand Murri Courts or similar models across the country?

• Unpacking the high and rapidly rising justice statistics, looking at systemic insights from the interrelated Closing the Gap targets, and  learning from efforts to make justice work smarter not harder in the UK and other jurisdictions to translate those insights into improving safety

Kate Greenwood, Senior Policy Lawyer, Closing the Gap, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (ATSILS)

• If police contact is the strongest predictor of future incarceration, what must change in policing models to improve safety without deepening racial harm?

• Hear how alternative responses, community-led policing, diversion, and accountability mechanisms can reduce unnecessary arrests while strengthening trust and public safety.

Kevin Bell, Former Commissioner, Yoorrook Justice Commission

Antoinette Braybrook, Chief Executive Officer, Djirra

Christopher Cunneen, Professor of Criminology, University of New South Wales

Brett Collins, Co-founder, Justice Action

Raagini Vijaykumar, Principal Managing Lawyer - Wirraway, Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS)

• As the NT considers deploying armed Protective Public Safety Officers (PPSOs) with expanded powers in public spaces, what are the risks for Aboriginal communities?

• Examine evidence showing how embedding armed officers in everyday life increases the likelihood of racial profiling, use of force and fatal encounters, and why the focus should be targeted into prevention, care and de-escalation.

Andrew Lockyer, Manager of the Through Care Program, North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA)

• Examine how youth transfer practices in Alice Springs can be replaced with family-informed, community-led responses that prioritise safety, cultural connection and early support over criminalisation

• Highlight practical reforms and proven Aboriginal-led models that uphold children's rights, ensure transparency and accountability, and prevent harm while keeping young people on Country and connected to family.

Bianca Dufty, Deputy Children's Guardian, NSW Office of the Children's Guardian

• Explore how trauma, structural inequality and systemic responses contribute to the criminalization of Aboriginal children and young people and their pathways into the youth justice system

• Learn how Aboriginal-designed, community-led approaches through the Koorie Youth Council's youth voice model, centre young people's voices and experiences for development and change in Victoria's youth justice system

Bonnie Dukakis, Chief Executive Officer, Koori Youth Council