Custody Notification Service facts for kids
A Custody Notification Service (CNS) is a special phone line that helps Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders when they are taken into police custody. It's available 24 hours a day, every day. This service quickly connects them with lawyers from an Aboriginal legal service in their area. The main goal of the CNS is to make sure Indigenous people get legal help right away. This helps to keep them safe and reduce serious incidents while they are in custody. It also helps to prevent unfair treatment.
What is a Custody Notification Service?
The Custody Notification Service is a hotline that police must call when an Indigenous Australian or Torres Strait Islander person is taken into custody. This call connects the person with a lawyer. The lawyer can then give advice and support.
This service is very important. It makes sure that Indigenous people understand their rights. It also helps to create a clear record of what happens while they are in custody. When a CNS is used, it has been shown to improve safety for Indigenous people.
Why was the CNS created?
The idea for a Custody Notification Service came from a big report in 1991. This report was called the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. A Royal Commission is a special investigation ordered by the government.
This report looked into many sad cases where Indigenous people died while in custody. It made 339 recommendations to help prevent these tragedies. Recommendation number 224 was to create a CNS in every state and territory in Australia.
How has the CNS been put in place?
Even though the recommendation was made in 1991, it took a long time for all states to set up a CNS. By 2018, only the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales had a CNS required by law.
In 2016, the federal government offered money to help other states start their own services. Many states then began to put a CNS in place. As of July 2020, almost all states and territories have a CNS. Only Queensland and Tasmania still do not have a CNS required by law.
