Done By Law

Abuse in the Catholic Church - Seeking Justice - 13 March 2012

Did you know that you can’ t sue the Catholic Church in Australia for sex offences? In particular, if you were the victim of abuse as a child, it’s next to impossible to take legal action about the abuse as an adult. Tonight on Done By Law we’re speaking with Judith Courtin, who is a Phd candidate conducting research into sexual assault in the Catholic Church. We’re also joined by Stephen Woods, who is a survivor who is a survivor of clergy sexual assault. We’ll be talking to our guests about whether victims are finding justice for such abuse, focusing on how the laws and systems in place can be improved for victims.

If any listeners want to ask questions about this show or find out more about options for victims, send an email to Judith Courtin at jcourtin@netspace.net.au

POLICE SHOOTINGS AND ACCOUNTABILITY - 6 MARCH 2012

Tonight’s Done By Law program picks up where this week’s ABC Four Corners program left off with the story of the NSW police investigation into the death of Adam Salter, a young man shot by a police officer in 2009. Appearing on the Four Corners program on behalf of the National Police Accountability Network, Tamar Hopkins of the Flemington Kensington Community Legal Centre joins Done By Law to further explore the issue of police accountability in Australia and how other jurisdictions, such as Ontario and Northern Ireland, approach the investigation of police shootings.

Valentine’s Day Special: 14 February 2012

It’s Valentine’s Day, and even lawyers aren’t immune to a bit of romance. So tonight on Done By Law we’re talking about love – well, love and the law.

For a large portion of the population, the law doesn’t have too much involvement in your love life, that is unless things go wrong – domestic violence, divorce, child support etc. But for same-sex attracted people, the law gets involved from the start – dictating how you share property, when you can visit your partner in hospital, what you can inherit, whether you can marry and whether or how you can have children. Joining us on the show tonight we have a special guest who will give our listeners an insight into the joys and challenges of being in a same-sex partnership in Victoria today. We’ll chat about what works, what doesn’t, and how we might like to see things improve in the future.

40 Years Tent Embassy and Your Rights at Festivals

On 26 January 1974 the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established under an umbrella on the grounds in front of Parliament House. This Survival Day marked the 40th anniversary of the Embassy. A gathering in Canberra celebrated the activists who have fought for the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and its historical and ongoing fight for justice. We talk to Meghan Fitzgerald who attended the Tent Embassy 40th anniversary commemorations about the gathering, the media misrepresentations of the protests and the ongoing struggle for survival and justice.

Summer is music festival and rave season. We discuss issues surrounding the policing of festivals and raves, especially the use of sniffer dogs, drug test and searches by security guards and police and how these tactics risk undermining harm reduction approaches to drug use. Listen in to find out more about your rights at festivals!

DBL: Consumer Rights over the Festive Season

 The lead up to Christmas is often a financially stressful time for families. With rent and energy prices steadily rising it’s not set to get any easier to make ends meet. People may be tempted to borrow money to get through Christmas and may end up with debt which they struggle to repay. They may also get caught up in a scam or end up with goods which weren’t what they were expecting and want their money back.

Today we’re speaking with Daniel Simpson, Media and Communications Officer at the Consumer Action Law Centre. One of his main roles is to ensure consumers are aware of the rights, and also that retailers and service providers are aware of their responsibilities. Daniel and Consumer Action also advocate for regulatory and legislative change in an effort to advance consumer rights. Before starting at Consumer Action Daniel worked for The Hon. Tony Robinson MP, former Victorian Minister for Consumer Affairs. It is clear that consumer rights are obviously a longstanding passion of Daniel’s and it’s a pleasure to have him on the show tonight.