Minimising the impact of the justice system

Madison's story - helping a young person at a crossroads avoid a criminal conviction Published on Tuesday 22, April 2025 At just 17, Madison found herself at a crossroads when she was facing criminal charges for the first time. Thanks to the support of her school and early intervention by IMCL's Youth Outreach Lawyer, she was able to avoid a permanent criminal record and is using this second chance to make positive changes in her. Read More ›

Hamza's story - ensuring inappropriate fines are waived in a time of crisis Published on Tuesday 22, April 2025 Homeless when we met him and living with mental health issues, Hamza had been trying to make a life for himself in Australia after arriving as a refugee. But a series of unresolved fines leading to a driving suspension had a damaging effect on Hamza. He became self-destructive and suicidal. Read More ›

Joshua's story - giving Joshua legal help when he had nowhere else to go Published on Tuesday 22, April 2025 Joshua had been place don the sex-offender registry, to be removed in 2017. He had, however, been charged with failing to comply with reporting obligation, though he suffered from a head injury which made it hard for him to understand complex matters. Read More ›

John's story - helping John to ensure his personal circumstances were properly taken into consideration by the court Published on Tuesday 22, April 2025 John, a sufferer of an intellectual disability and severe mental illness, had been ordered to not contact a family member. He had also been charged with unrelated criminal offences. IMCL successfully argued that he was a perfect candidate for diversion. Read More ›

Dean's story - advocating on behalf of Dean so that he wasn’t unfairly affected by a mental health episode Published on Tuesday 22, April 2025 When we first saw Dean he was 38, unemployed and on disability pension. He had been charged with minor assaults against two strangers, both on the same day. Read More ›

Amir's story - stepping in to prevent Amir from becoming entrenched in the criminal justice system Published on Tuesday 22, April 2025 Access to a lawyer can be the difference between a client becoming entrenched within the criminal justice system and having a future free from the disproportionate impact of a criminal record. Read More ›

Harriet's story - securing debt relief to support recovery from a mental health episode Published on Tuesday 22, April 2025 Harriet was admitted to hospital after experiencing her first episode of psychosis. Two months before her admission, Harriet had lost her job and her home, and had drifted from her family and friends while accruing a number of fines and debts. Read More ›