Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) facts for kids

The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) (ALS) is a special organisation run by the community. It helps Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders with legal problems. It started in 1970 in Redfern, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. Now, the ALS has offices all over NSW and the Australian Capital Territory. Its main office is in Sydney.

The ALS was the first free legal service in Australia. It showed how community legal help could work. It became a model for many other legal and Aboriginal services across the country.

How the ALS Started

The idea for the Aboriginal Legal Service grew from the Australian Black Power movement. This movement began in places like Redfern, Sydney, and Fitzroy, Melbourne. It became stronger after the Freedom Ride in 1965, led by Charles Perkins.

In 1970, a public meeting was held in Redfern. At this meeting, people decided to create an organisation that would become the Aboriginal Legal Service. Aboriginal leaders and lawyers, including Paul Coe, Isabel Coe, Gary Williams, and Gary Foley, helped set up the ALS in Redfern. A law professor named J. H. Wooten also helped.

Early Days and Help for the Community

In the beginning, volunteers worked for free. They gave legal advice and help to Aboriginal people in Sydney. This was important because many Aboriginal people faced unfair treatment and arrests.

In 1971, the government started giving money to the service. This allowed the ALS to hire a full-time solicitor, a field officer, and a secretary. They could then open a proper office in Redfern. It was very important that Aboriginal people were involved in running the service and helping others. This made sure the help was right for their culture.

Important Changes and Services

In 1991, a big report called the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC) was released. It suggested that Aboriginal Legal Services should also work on changing laws. The ALS was the first to start a special service called the Custody Notification Service (CNS) in 2000. This service was created because of the RCIADIC report.

In 2006, the six Aboriginal Legal Services in NSW and ACT joined together. This happened because of changes in how the government provided money for legal help.

Protecting People in Custody

In 2016, an Aboriginal person died while in police custody in NSW. This was the first time this had happened in NSW or the ACT since the CNS started. Police had not called the CNS in this case. At that time, the law only required police to call the CNS if someone was arrested for an offence. It did not apply if someone was taken into custody for other reasons.

After an investigation into this death, the NSW government changed the law in October 2019. Now, police must call the CNS if an Aboriginal person is taken into custody for any reason, including if they are detained for their own safety.

What the ALS Does Today

Today, the ALS helps people with different types of legal issues. This includes criminal law, which deals with crimes. They also help with children's care and protection cases, and family law matters. The ALS also works to change laws and policies to make things fairer.

The Custody Notification Service (CNS) is now a required part of the law in NSW. This means NSW Police officers must tell the CNS when they take an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person into custody. As of August 2025, this is not yet a law in the ACT. The CNS has been very successful and is seen as a great example for other services.

See also

• Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia
• North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency