It was a privilege to attend the first ceremonial sitting of the new Youth Koori Court in Surry Hills last week and to witness the expansion of a program that facilitates the direct involvement of the Aboriginal community in the administration of justice.

However, the opening of the ground-breaking new facility, which was preceded with a moving Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony outside the new facility, also served as a timely reminder of the alarming statistics relating to the proportion of young Indigenous people detained in juvenile custody and the urgent need to address the systemic challenges driving our state and nation’s overwhelming rates of Indigenous incarceration.

Although there has been a reduction in the number of Indigenous youth detained in juvenile justice systems there is still an unjustifiable disparity in the incarceration rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people. Indigenous youth make up 4 per cent of the youth population in NSW, but 51 per cent of the juvenile detention population.

Since the first Youth Koori Court was opened in Parramatta in 2015, the Law Society has campaigned for an expansion of this innovative justice model and we will continue to advocate for its expansion to regional and rural areas around the state. Increased funding for Indigenous-specific services for young Indigenous people that recognise the importance of community led initiatives, such as the Youth Koori Court and the Maranguka Justice Reinvestment program in Bourke, is one of the major priorities outlined in the Law Society’s 2019 State Election Platform.

As we know, one of the key functions of the Law Society is effecting and promoting positive legal reforms for the benefit of the community. Open dialogue with governments, parliamentary bodies, the courts and other key stakeholders in the justice system is key to driving these reforms. In addition to representing our members at numerous Opening of Law Term events and an extraordinary number of swearings in and retirement ceremonies already this year, I have, with the Law Society Executive, also met with the NSW Attorney General, the Shadow Attorney, the Chief Justice of NSW and numerous heads of the judiciary, with further credential meetings scheduled for later this month.

Finally, registrations are now open for the annual Future of Law and Innovation in the Profession (FLIP) Conference and Innovation Dinner to be held in Sydney on 25 July 2019. After the success of last year’s inaugural FLIP Conference, I encourage members to register early for this event, which will feature more than 50 Australian and international leaders in law, technology and innovation.

Elizabeth Espinosa, Law Society of NSW President

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