The Challenges of Law Reform: In Conversation with Fiona Patten MLC and Sarah Schwartz (VALS)- Monday 7 November
On 7 November, Liberty Victoria's Rights Advocacy Project entered into a conversation with Fiona Patten MLC and Sarah Schwartz on the challenges of law reform.
The video of the event is now available
About the speakers:
Fiona has been a champion of evidence driven legislative reform over her time in Parliament. Over this period she has taken the lead on many projects where Liberty Victoria's Rights Advocacy Project has published reports and shaped the debate in the public arena - most notably spent conviction reform. She has been active in many other policy areas including illicit drug reform, the emergence of far-right extremism, sex work decriminalisation and voluntary euthanasia to name only a few.
Sarah is the Principal Lawyer of the Wirraway, Police and Prison Accountability Practice at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service where she represents clients, and conducts advocacy, in the areas of police accountability, the rights of people in prison and coronial inquests into Aboriginal deaths in custody. At VALS, Sarah has acted in the Inquest into the passing of Veronica Nelson and the Victorian Court of Appeal prison rights case, Thompson v Minogue. Sarah also leads projects on the healthcare rights of people in prison and the criminalisation of Aboriginal young people in state care. Sarah completed a Master of Laws at Harvard University on a John Monash Scholarship, focusing on policing, prisons and community lawyering. Sarah is also a Lecturer and Honorary Fellow at Melbourne Law School. Sarah has previously worked at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Legal Aid NSW, and for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of NSW.
This seminar was held in person or online attendance by donation, with all funds going to Liberty Victoria's Rights Advocacy Project: https://www.rightsadvocacyproject.org/