PLEA Project

The sexual assault allegations against former Attorney-General Christian Porter raised many difficult issues. Among them was an evidentiary one: the New South Wales police have made statements indicating part of the reason they discontinued their criminal investigation into the matter was because of insufficient admissible evidence. This raises a difficult question for the future: how should the law of evidence balance the interests of complainants in obtaining justice in cases concerning sexual offences while respecting the right of an accused to a fair trial? Our panel will consider how best to answer this question.

Read more here

PLEA is now recruiting volunteer presenters for prisons and youth justice centres across Melbourne and Geelong. If you’re a law student, with a passion for social justice, and able to commit to 3-4 sessions a month, we’d love to hear from you!

Applications must be received by 9 February 2020 for this recruitment round.

More information and application here.

PLEA volunteers will be providing free community legal education seminars

• Neighbourhood Disputes 5th Aug
• Fines & Debts 12th Aug
• Family Law 19th Aug
• Tenancy & Renters Rights 26th Aug
• Employment Rights 2nd Sept
• Public Transport Law 9th Sept
• Driving Laws 12th Sept

All seminars begin at 4pm

Amaroo Neighbourhood Centre
34 Amaroo St, Chadstone 9807 2625

Please note we cannot give legal advice

We are looking for volunteers in our programs in the community across Melbourne, and for prisons and youth justice centres in Melbourne and Geelong.

Volunteers have the unique opportunity to put their legal knowledge into practice working with communities in prisons and the community.

Learn more and apply here.

In light of the recent sentencing of Borce Ristevski and Joseph Esmaili, sections of the community have expressed anger and shock at what appears to be a disparity between the proportionality of these sentences. Families of the victims and the community are trying to grapple with the 9-year (6-year non-parole) sentence of Risetevski for the manslaughter of his wife, Karen Ristevski, and the 10-year, mandatory minimum non-parole sentence of Esmaili for the one-punch manslaughter of surgeon Patrick Pritzwald-Stegmann. Are these sentences justified? If not, what can be done to quell the community’s concern that justice is served?

Book tickets here.

PLEA is recruiting for volunteers in our programs in the community across Melbourne, and for prisons and youth justice centres in Melbourne and Geelong.

If you’re a law student with a passion for social justice and availability to deliver sessions for 12 months of more, we would love to hear from you.

Learn more and apply here.

In partnership with the Amaroo Neighbourhood Centre Inc. in Chadstone, PLEA will be hosting a community information session on Family Law and Dispute Resolution on Monday 13 May.

This free session is open to all community members (note PLEA volunteers provide general legal education but cannot provide individual case advice).