Staffing announcements
New Legal Director – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Rights
We’re thrilled to announce that Meena Singh will join the Centre as a Legal Director leading the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ rights team, commencing in February 2021. Meena is a Yorta Yorta woman of Indian descent with a strong background in legal practice and policy, consultancy and training. She is passionate about racial justice and championing the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Meena has held senior leadership roles at Djirra, the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and Victoria Legal Aid.
Meena will lead and manage the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ rights team’s work advocating in close partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and organisations for a fair legal system that is free from racial injustice and that upholds the principles of dignity, equality and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ right to self-determination.
New program of work - Climate Justice
Ruth Barson, who has led the Centre’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ rights team for the past six years, is going on parental leave. She will return next year to develop and lead a new climate justice area work, which will build on our established relationships and work areas – specifically, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ rights, asylum seeker and refugee rights, democratic freedoms and business and human rights – to strategically advocate and litigate for climate justice on behalf of and alongside disempowered and impacted communities across Australia.
The Centre’s commitment to developing this area of work reflects an understanding that climate change poses unprecedented and acute challenges to human rights for people across Australia; and that some of the gravest consequences of climate change will be felt by people and communities who are traditionally discriminated against, disempowered and locked out of decision making forums.
Media contact:
Michelle Bennett, Communications Director: 0419 100 519