Resources
Legal Observer Groups and Projects in Australia
Below is a list of currently active Legal Observer groups and Projects operating in Australia.
Action Ready
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.
Copwatch
Copwatch is an education program and phone app for the Australian Aboriginal Community to help improve engagement, trust and accountability between police and Aboriginal people. It is run by the National Justice Project.
Legal Observers NSW
Legal Observers NSW is a growing collective of volunteer lawyers, human rights advocates and law students. We monitor and report on police action at protests, distribute information about protest rights and facilitate access to legal support.
Amnesty International – 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.
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.
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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