We need to increase our focus on young people’s rights – these have become overshadowed by problems and the focus for funding is on particular concerns or strategies rather than rights. Mainstream Youth Worker, YANQ What is Youth Work consultations, 2012 The Law and Justice stream of the upcoming State Youth Affairs Conference will be of particular interest not only to those already working in Youth Justice but those wishing to understand changes to the legal system impacting on young Queenslanders and how best to assist young people to navigate their way through our so-called youth justice system. There are two workshops addressing these themes. “Then and Now – An in depth guide through the changes to the youth justice system and its impact on youth worker practice” is a workshop presented by Katrina Jefferson (Community Legal Education Officer, Youth Advocacy Centre) and Lee Anne Hoyer (Youth Support Advocate, Youth Advocacy Centre) on the first afternoon, as part of the overall session options considering the current realities facing Qld youth workers. These changes will have major impacts on young people in the youth justice system. Those who work with these young people need to be aware of these changes to support their clients before court, at court and in dealing with issues which arise after court. Another opportunity to discuss law and justice related themes is during the workshop sessions held on the final afternoon of the conference when there will be a Q&A style panel discussion exploring legal issues faced by young people and youth workers in the current socio-political circumstances and how we can individually and collectively respond to these issues. The panel will feature: Deb Kilroy (OAM, MLB, GDFMenH, GDLPrac, BSocWk), a former prisoner, Principal Lawyer of Kilroy & Callaghan Lawyers and the CEO of Sisters Inside—an independent community organisation in Brisbane, Australia that advocates for the human rights of criminalised women and girls. Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law, Bond University, Jodie O’Leary, who teaches teaches criminal law and whose recent youth justice research projects have included publications on Juvenile Fitness for Trial in Queensland, Naming Young Offenders: Implications of Research for Reform, and Out of Step and Out of Touch: Queensland’s Youth Justice Amendments. Jodie co-chairs the Law and Justice Institute of Queensland’s Youth Justice Subcommittee. Janet Wight was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales and then Queensland following her move to Australia. Initially working in private practice in the UK and then Brisbane, her commitment to social justice led her to move into the community legal centre sector. She has been an employee, volunteer and/or Management Committee member with a number of legal centres. She is currently employed as the Director of the Youth Advocacy Centre and since October 2013 she has been President of QAILS, the peak body of Queensland’s community legal centres. This workshop is a must for anyone interested in finding out and doing something about the growing injustice in Queensland. To find out more about the conference and to register, please visit: yanq.org.au/conference.html
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 23:23:25 +0000
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