David Mejia-Canales joined the Human Rights Law Centre in August 2022 as a senior lawyer focusing on defending the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum and on protecting democratic freedoms.
Prior to this David was a policy adviser in the Commonwealth Parliament working on legal system reform and on justice issues impacting First Nations people, including, ending deaths in custody, raising the age of criminal responsibility, protecting Country and Country defenders, and the implementation of the Optional Protocol on the Convention Against Torture.
At NATSILS, the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, David worked with affected communities on the Stop Deaths in Custody campaign, the Closing the Gap Agreement, raising the age of criminal responsibility and better resourcing for First Nations community led interventions in the criminal legal system.
In addition to his experience with legal policy and law reform, David has worked in community development and health promotion, including HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health rights with LGBTIQ+ and First Nations communities, as well as research to better meet the needs of LGBTIQ+ refugees and people seeking asylum.
David holds a Bachelor of Arts from La Trobe University with majors in anthropology and politics, a Juris Doctor from RMIT University and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Australian National University.