Resources
Legal Observer Groups and Projects in Australia
Below is a list of current and past legal observer and police accountability groups operating in Australia.
Action Ready (Meanjin/Brisbane)
Action Ready is a not-for-profit organisation formed by volunteers in Meanjin (Brisbane) who can provide general legal briefings prior to an action and supporting people take on legal marshal/legal observer roles.
Legal Observers NSW
Legal Observers NSW is a growing collective of volunteer lawyers, human rights advocates and law students. They monitor and report on police action at protests, distribute information about protest rights, and facilitate access to legal support.
Fair Play
The Fair Players are specially trained volunteers who are on site at the Mardi Gras Party to share legal and safety information with party-goers, monitor and document the operations of the NSW Police Force and provide support to people who have been searched or questioned by police. Fair Play is no longer active, however their Facebook page contains helpful resources.
CounterAct
CounterAct was a not-for-profit organisation that supports communities across Australia to protect the natural environment and work for social justice and human rights. This is done by providing training, educational resources and capacity building to support communities and activists. While it is no longer active, their website contains an extensive amount of helpful resources.
Copwatch
CopWatch is an app, website and community training & education program and is designed to help keep you safe and keep police accountable. The app helps you record police interactions and the website contains information and resources on your rights.
Police Accountability Project
The Police Accountability Project is a specialist, innovative, public interest legal project located within the Flemington & Kensington Community Legal Centre, taking the lead in police accountability law and strategies in Victoria. By providing victim-centred remedies, strategic litigation, evidence based research, community support, and policy and law reform, the Police Accountability Project aims to provide justice for those who least experience it and by doing so hold police who abuse to account.
Amnesty International Human Rights Observers – Australia
Human Rights Observers (HROs) are Amnesty International trained representatives, who can be deployed to protests, rallies, and other public situations where there is a significant risk that human rights violations may occur. HROs objectively and impartially observe, document, and report back on incidents that may occur which infringe on the freedom of association and peaceful assembly.
Melbourne Activist Legal Support
Melbourne Activist Legal Support (MALS) is an independent volunteer group of lawyers, human rights advocates, law students and para-legals. MALS trains and fields Legal Observer Teams at protest events, monitors and reports on public order policing, provides training and advice to activist groups on legal support structures, and develops and distributes legal resources for protest movements.
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