News

News

Use of Police Force at Protest Must Be Independently Investigated Published on Tuesday 08, October 2024 The Police Accountability Project at Inner Melbourne Community Legal calls for a ban on dangerous police weapons at protest and renews their call for the creation of a police ombudsman to independently investigate and oversee police conduct.

Public Housing Class Action to Proceed to Trial Published on Thursday 18, July 2024 The Supreme Court of Victoria has issued orders for the historic public housing class action to proceed to trial in October. The Court will consider whether Homes Victoria made the decision to demolish the towers properly and with appropriate consideration for human rights.  

Public housing residents to continue the fight to save their homes Published on Friday 03, May 2024 The fight to save public housing from demolition is set to continue after the Supreme Court of Victoria gave residents the opportunity to seek another judicial review of the government’s decision today.

Victorian Government will attempt to throw out public housing class action Published on Monday 22, April 2024 The Victorian Government’s application to have the public housing class action thrown out of the Supreme Court will be heard tomorrow.

Class action filed against the Victorian Government Published on Thursday 25, January 2024 Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL) has filed a class action against the Victorian Government to protect the human rights of public housing residents, who have been told their homes will be demolished as part of Victoria’s Housing Statement.

IMCL project finds further evidence that police should not act as first responders in mental health crisis Published on Thursday 23, November 2023 Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL) has released its findings from a three-year project that investigated the best way to deliver legal support to people experiencing a mental health crisis or psycho-social distress.

Yoorrook Justice Commission recommends a new independent police oversight authority Published on Monday 04, September 2023 The Police Accountability Project (PAP) supports the Yoorrook Justice Commission's recommendation for urgent reforms to the criminal justice system, including a new adequately resourced independent police oversight authority. Victoria needs a #PoliceOmbudsmanNow.

The Yoorrook Justice Commission recommends a new independent police oversight authority Published on Monday 04, September 2023 The Police Accountability Project (PAP) supports the Yoorrook Justice Commission's recommendation for urgent reforms to the criminal justice system, including a new adequately resourced independent police oversight authority. Victoria needs a #PoliceOmbudsmanNow.

Calls for Victorian Government to reverse its decision to replace public housing across the state Published on Wednesday 20, September 2023 IMCL is calling on the Victorian Government to reverse its decision to have all public housing towers torn down by 2051. The replacement of these estates with private and social housing will not solve the housing crisis in this community, which is one comprised of vulnerable or marginalised people.

Victorian Government should withdraw COVID-19 fines Published on Tuesday 29, November 2022 Inner Melbourne Community Legal and YouthLaw have called on the Victorian Government to withdraw more than 30,000 outstanding COVID-19 fines issued in Victoria during the pandemic.

Open Letter to Premier Daniel Andrews - Police Ombudsman Now Published on Monday 10, October 2022 The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS), the Police Accountability Project and other community legal centres and Aboriginal organisations have called on Premier Daniel Andrews to overhaul the state’s failed police oversight system with the introduction of a Police Ombudsman.

Victoria Police Engaged in Racial Profiling During the Covid-19 Pandemic Published on Tuesday 27, June 2023 Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL) has called on the Victorian Government to waive all COVID-19 fines after its groundbreaking study revealed that Victoria Police engaged in racial profiling when it issued infringement notices during the first year of the COVID pandemic.

The Victorian Government must apologise to public housing residents Published on Thursday 29, September 2022 Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL) supports the Victorian Ombudsman’s renewed call for the Andrews Government to apologise for the immediate lockdown of nine public housing towers during the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020.

Capsicum spray class action filed against Victoria Police Published on Friday 02, September 2022 The Police Accountability Project at Inner Melbourne Community Legal and Phi Finney McDonald have launched a class action against the Victorian State Government over the actions of Victoria Police.

Program Manager - Over and Under Policing Published on Tuesday 02, April 2024 IMCL is recruiting a Program Manager, Over and Under Policing to lead the development and implementation of the next chapter in the Police Accountability Project

CEO Update Published on Wednesday 01, June 2022 Inner Melbourne Community Legal announces the departure of Chief Executive Officer.

2021 End-of-Year Wrap-up Published on Friday 10, December 2021 In the last edition of the IMCL Quarterly "Be Heard!" newsletter for 2021 we reflect on the year that was and look forward with optimism towards 2022.

Members Vote to Merge Published on Thursday 25, November 2021 At simultaneous FKCLC and IMCL AGMs, the combined membership voted in favour of the merger.

2021 Third Edition Published on Wednesday 17, November 2021 In the third edition of the IMCL Quarterly "Be Heard!" newsletter for 2021 we shine a spotlight on the work we are doing to make sure the social housing system is fairer and better protects our community.

Social Housing Regulation Review Submissions Published on Thursday 11, November 2021 IMCL has provided a lead role in coordinating the community sector response to the Social Housing Regulation Review, which was announced as part of the Victorian Government's 'Big Housing Build'.

Brent's story Published on Monday 15, November 2021 Brent sustained an acquired brain injury in an accident when he was 16 and has experienced homelessness ever since. After finally being placed into stable community housing, he is again at risk of homelessness after his neighbours complained about behaviour connected with his disability.

Jonathon's Story Published on Monday 15, November 2021 Jonathon uses a wheelchair and lives in a community housing apartment specifically aimed at accommodating people living with disability. He was shocked when his community housing provider refused to make reasonable modifications to his apartment on the recommendation of his Occupational Therapist.

Members to Vote on Merger Published on Friday 01, October 2021 All members of Flemington Kensington Community Legal Centre (FKCLC) and Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL) will get to have their say this November on whether the two Community Legal Centres (CLCs) should merge.

2021 Second Edition Published on Monday 26, July 2021 In the second edition of the IMCL Quarterly "Be Heard!" newsletter for 2021 we profile IMCL's Police and Clinician Emergency Response (PACER) project, the people behind it and our work to make the justice system fairer for people experiencing mental ill-health.

Say sorry and never let the hard lockdown happen again Published on Friday 02, July 2021 Public housing residents continue to be fearful one year on that the hard lockdown could happen again: Human rights and community lawyers urgently seek legal changes to protect against overreach of public safety powers

Molly Williams and Nadia Morales Published on Monday 28, June 2021 Molly Williams began implementing the PACER project in 2019 after starting at IMCL as a graduate lawyer in 2011. She has found integrated practice within the mental health context to be a challenging but exciting new undertaking.

2021 First Edition Published on Monday 12, April 2021 In the first edition of the IMCL Quarterly "Be Heard!" newsletter for 2021 we shine a spotlight on IMCL's work with young people and share with you our priorities for the year ahead.

Fines advocacy on behalf of children and young people Published on Wednesday 24, March 2021 Our Youth Outreach Lawyer, Libby, has been working with a network of other CLCs to advocate for changes in the way that children and young people are treated by the fines system in Victoria.

Elisabeth O'Dea Published on Monday 22, March 2021 Since her first job as a criminal lawyer, Elisabeth (Libby) has always been passionate about working with young people. Read about her pathway to becoming IMCL's Youth Outreach Lawyer.

World Day of Social Justice 2021 Published on Thursday 18, February 2021 This World Day of Social Justice serves as an opportunity for us to reflect on how the global mission for social justice starts in our local community.

End-of-Year Edition Published on Thursday 17, December 2020 Our End-of-Year edition of the IMCL Quarterly "Be Heard!" where we review the work we did before the pandemic struck through highlights from our 2019-20 Annual Report, and take a look back at how our team sprang into action in partnership with others to weather the COVID-19 storm.

Response to Victorian Ombudsman's Scathing Report into the Public Housing Hard Lockdown Published on Thursday 17, December 2020 IMCL's response to the Victorian Ombudsman's report into the detention and treatment of public housing residents arising from the COVID-19 hard lockdown in July 2020.

2019-20 AGM Published on Friday 27, November 2020 Inner Melbourne Community Legal held its first virtual AGM under the theme of ‘Working with Others to Adapt to Change’ and announces exciting changes to its Board.

COVID-19 Edition Published on Thursday 17, September 2020 Our COVID-19 edition of the IMCL Quarterly "Be Heard!" where we take a look at how many members of our local community have faced unexpected housing adversity as a result of the pandemic and how IMCL mobilised to respond.

Fines advocacy during COVID-19 Published on Wednesday 16, September 2020 COVID-19 has exposed and further compounded existing issues within the fines system, which IMCL has long been advocating to change.

Tenancy advocacy during COVID-19 Published on Wednesday 16, September 2020 In early March IMCL helped create an alliance with a range of legal services and social organisations to give input into the new COVID-19 regulatory scheme and continue to advocate for rental laws and processes that are fair and equitable for everyone

Message to our community Published on Friday 17, July 2020 Message to our community regarding the public housing towers hard lockdown

Message to our community Published on Friday 17, July 2020 Message to our community regarding the public housing towers hard lockdown

No justification for paternalistic police presence on public housing estates Published on Sunday 12, July 2020 The continued police presence at the public housing tower block at 33 Alfred Street, North Melbourne, and the assembly of a wire fence 'exercise yard' are disproportionate, paternalistic and enforcement-first responses to a health issue which take away the residents' dignity and agency.

Community lawyers call for residents to have access to emergency leave Published on Wednesday 08, July 2020 Community lawyers are calling for public housing residents to have access to emergency leave, with reports that some public housing residents have been prevented from leaving in the event of a medical or other emergency, despite an exemption under the lockdown act permitting such leave.

Carolina's story Published on Wednesday 16, September 2020 Before the pandemic, Carolina was working in hospitality. She had heard about COVID-19, but wasn’t too worried about it. Things changed quickly and Sofia couldn't pay her rent or go back to her home country. As an international student, she doesn't get government support.

Linh's story Published on Wednesday 16, September 2020 When COVID took hold in early March, Linh lost her job and her housemate flew back home suddenly, leaving Linh to pay for the entire property with no income.

World Day of Social Justice Published on Thursday 20, February 2020 On this World Day of Social Justice, we reflect on how we contribute to this year's theme of 'Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve Social Justice' through individual and systemic change.

COVID-19 Updates Published on Monday 19, October 2020 We are still providing free legal help to people in our local area during COVID-19

PACER Published on Tuesday 26, November 2019 In 2018 The Inner Melbourne Community Legal Centre explored a partnership with the Inner West PACER team to develop and pilot a model for delivering free legal help to people experiencing a mental health crisis who come into contact with PACER.

CEO departure & interim appointments Published on Monday 28, October 2019 Inner Melbourne Community Legal announces some important organisational changes.

Fourth Edition Published on Thursday 19, December 2019 Our fourth edition of the IMCL Quarterly "Be Heard!" where we take a look at our Annual Report and reflect on the year that was and who we helped.

Merger Update Published on Monday 14, October 2019 The boards of IMCL and FKCLC announce their in principle agreement to merge.

Third Edition Published on Thursday 19, September 2019 Our third edition of the IMCL Quarterly "Be Heard!" with stories about how we build fairness and wellbeing in our local community through the law.

A Specialist Homelessness Court for Australia Published on Monday 02, September 2019 Read IMCL lawyer Lloyd Murphy's recent article in Parity Magazine, where he outlines some ideas to counter the injustice of people experiencing homelessness being over-represented and poorly served by the criminal justice system.

Victorian Ombudsman Investigation into State Trustees Published on Friday 05, July 2019 IMCL welcomes the Victorian Ombudsman’s investigation into State Trustees report and its recognition of the concerns raised in our submission arising from the experiences of our clients.

Second Edition Published on Tuesday 11, June 2019 Our second edition of the IMCL Quarterly "Be Heard!" with stories about how we build fairness and wellbeing in our local community through the law.

Public Housing Hard Lockdowns Published on Sunday 05, July 2020 IMCL is extremely alarmed at the unprecedented impact on the liberty of public housing residents in our area.

Our Tenancy Work Published on Tuesday 11, June 2019 Our tenancy lawyer Louisa Bassini has helped scores of public and community housing clients with tenancy matters, often going to them through outreach services with our partner organisations.

Jack's Story Published on Monday 15, November 2021 Jack has been living in community housing since 2010. He's always found it difficult to get things fixed, but when a cockroach infestation made his home unlivable, he knew it was time to seek legal help.

First Edition Published on Tuesday 16, April 2019 Our first edition of the IMCL Quarterly "Be Heard!" with stories about how we build fairness and wellbeing in our local community through the law.

Health Justice Partnership Client Voice Published on Tuesday 26, September 2017 Through IMCL's Health Justice Partnership, Joe received legal help to put in place an intervention that relieved him from family violence. Read his story, told in his own words.

IMCL speaks to The Age about international students and unscrupulous landlords Published on Saturday 16, March 2019 Dan Stubbs, CEO Inner Melbourne Community Legal, discussed the housing issues we see among international students who come to our service for help.

Partners in Care: Health Justice Partnerships Evaluation Launch Published on Monday 15, April 2019 We were pleased to launch our Partners in Care Report on Wednesday the 27th of March with our hospital partners and the Hon Mark Dreyfus QC, MP.

Maie Gibney Published on Monday 15, April 2019 Wanting to support people experiencing family violence was the very reason Maie wanted to become part of a Health Justice Partnership. Read about her pathway to becoming IMCL's Health Justice Partnership Senior Lawyer.

International student housing tips by MELD Magazine Published on Sunday 10, February 2019 Melbourne's leading international student news publisher, Meld Magazine, worked with IMCL to write an article with eight crucial tips for students moving into share houses.

IMCL on 3CR radio Done By Law Program Published on Wednesday 07, February 2018 Senior Lawyer Molly Williams discusses the Public Housing Renewal Program with Stephanie Price from West Heidelberg Community Legal Service on the Done By Law show.

IMCL on ABC Radio National's Law Report Program Published on Tuesday 16, October 2018 Senior Lawyer Molly Williams discusses the Public Housing Renewal Program with Yusuf Mohamud from West Heidelberg Community Legal Service on ABC Radio's Law Report.

IMCL CEO Dan Stubbs shares his insights with Our Community about making pro bono relationships work Published on Friday 06, April 2018 IMCL has partnered with top-tier law firm Clayton Utz to launch a fortnightly employment law clinic. This is how we make the relationship work.

IMCL lawyer Molly Williams and client Les speak about the human side of the Public Housing Renewal Program Published on Monday 02, April 2018 IMCL has been helping a number of public housing tenants who have been left “in limbo” as the North Melbourne site of the State Government’s Public Housing Renewal Program proceeds.

IMCL launches fortnightly employment law clinic Published on Tuesday 13, March 2018 IMCL has partnered with top-tier law firm Clayton Utz to launch a fortnightly employment law clinic.

IMCL helps Ashika through our fortnightly employment law clinic Published on Tuesday 13, March 2018 IMCL has partnered with top-tier law firm Clayton Utz to launch a fortnightly employment law clinic to help people like Ashika. Read her story.

Abbotsford St Public Housing Redevelopment – Fact Sheet Published on Monday 22, January 2018 Are you, or someone you know a resident of the Abbotsford Street Public Housing Estate? Read our fact sheet.

Legal advice for residents of Abbotsford St. Public Housing - Thurs. 18 Jan. 2018 Published on Tuesday 16, January 2018 On Thursday 18 January 2018 between 10 am - 3 pm at the Abbotsford St. Public Housing Estate on Buncle St., IMCL will be running a pop up legal advice clinic for residents.

Dean's story - Unfair Office of Housing Debts Published on Friday 15, December 2017 In late 2012 Dean applied for a public housing property, needing a place to live with his daughter. With escalating housing prices and being on the disability support pension, he simply couldn’t afford a private rental property.

Make Renting Fair Published on Friday 15, December 2017 IMCL has joined 55 community organisations to ask Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to protect renters from unfair evictions, unsafe properties and arbitrary invasions of their privacy.

White Ribbon Day - The Funding Network Australia Published on Friday 24, November 2017 Donations from The Funding Network help us continue our Acting On The Warning Signs Health Justice Partnership with The Royal Women's Hospital.

IMCL Annual Report 2016-17 Published on Tuesday 21, November 2017 We worked closely with the media to help our Health Justice Partnership clients tell their own stories in a safe and respectful way. Read their stories.

Submission to the Social Housing Renewal Standing Advisory Committee at Planning Panels Victoria Published on Tuesday 21, November 2017 IMCL, represented by our CEO Dan Stubbs, has made a submission to the Social Housing Renewal Standing Advisory Committee at Planning Panels Victoria.

Acting on the Warning Signs - LIV Young Lawyers' Charity Ball Published on Friday 20, October 2017 The LIV Young Lawyers' Charity Ball raised money for our 'Acting on the Warning Signs', a HJP initiated by The Royal Women's Hospital and IMCL.

IMCL's Health Justice Partnerships featured on The Law Report Published on Tuesday 26, September 2017 Three of our clients tell The Law Report about how their lives and health were improved through our Health Justice Partnerships.

Olivia Ridley Published on Thursday 14, September 2017 At a rough guess, our lawyer Olivia thinks she’s provided tenancy advice to at least 6,000 people. But, it’s likely many more.

Reduce homelessness, don't criminalise it Published on Tuesday 08, August 2017 Recently, we wrote an article for the North and West Melbourne News on the need to reduce homelessness, not to criminalise it.

Linda Gyorki Published on Monday 29, May 2017 IMCL is thrilled to announce that IMCL lawyer Linda Gyorki - Manager (Health Justice Partnerships) and Senior Lawyer - was recently named Community Lawyer of the Year 2017 at the Victorian Legal Awards!

Hannah Fesseha Published on Tuesday 16, May 2017 Hannah Fesseha is being admitted as a lawyer and her parents couldn’t be prouder. In part, Fesseha attributes her success to the mental and spiritual discipline learnt from years of karate training.

Lawyers on the beat Published on Sunday 19, March 2017 A group of inner city CLCs recently visited a homeless support service to meet with people at risk of being impacted by the proposal to criminalise sleeping rough.

Legal experts say outlawing camping is ridiculous Published on Monday 06, February 2017 An increase in more affordable housing and holistic support services should be the solution to people experiencing homelessness who are forced to camp in Melbourne's CBD streets.

John Mangan Published on Wednesday 25, January 2017 Generations of IMCL staff and volunteers past and present recently gathered to celebrate the remarkable 20 year voluntary contribution of John Mangan to our Committee of Management.

© 2021 Inner Melbourne Community Legal Inc. Registration Number: A0014248J

Inner Melbourne Community Legal acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we work, the Boon wurrung and Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin nation. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded and pay our respects to their cultures and Elders past and present. This always was and always will be Aboriginal Land.

Everyone is welcome at Inner Melbourne Community Legal, regardless of race, religion, gender or sexuality.