Done By Law

DBL: Consumer Rights over the Festive Season

 The lead up to Christmas is often a financially stressful time for families. With rent and energy prices steadily rising it’s not set to get any easier to make ends meet. People may be tempted to borrow money to get through Christmas and may end up with debt which they struggle to repay. They may also get caught up in a scam or end up with goods which weren’t what they were expecting and want their money back.

Today we’re speaking with Daniel Simpson, Media and Communications Officer at the Consumer Action Law Centre. One of his main roles is to ensure consumers are aware of the rights, and also that retailers and service providers are aware of their responsibilities. Daniel and Consumer Action also advocate for regulatory and legislative change in an effort to advance consumer rights. Before starting at Consumer Action Daniel worked for The Hon. Tony Robinson MP, former Victorian Minister for Consumer Affairs. It is clear that consumer rights are obviously a longstanding passion of Daniel’s and it’s a pleasure to have him on the show tonight.

8 November 2011 - Victims’ Rights

Last year in Victoria, just over 39,000 persons reported being the victim of a crime against the person. An estimated further 60,000 Victorians were the victim of a crime but made no report to the police. Being a victim of crime, especially violent crime, can have devastating effects on an individual, their family and the community. On top of physical injuries, victims are at greater risk of mental illness, particularly anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Carer responsibilities and employment also suffer. Then the is the traumatising ordeal of having to navigate the criminal justice system – from making a statement to police and identifying the offender, to being called as a witness and cross-examined by over-zealous defence lawyers.

On tonight’s show, Clare Morton, Director of the Victims Support Agency within Department of Justice, will lead us through a step-by-step guide for victims involved in the justice system – what to expect from the criminal justice process and what supports are available along the way.

A must-hear for anyone who has been, or who wants to support a friend or loved one who has been, a victim of crime.

Tune in to 3CR 855AM from 6pm.

Occupy Melbourne: 23 October 2011

On Friday 21 October 2011 the Victorian Police acting on instruction of Melbourne City Council moved to forcefully evict the Occupy Melbourne movement which had been camped in City Square for the previous week. The Occupy Melbounre Legal Support Team have collected statements that officers attacked and assaulted protesters and arrested over 80 people, the majority without charge. We talk to members of the Occupy Melbourne Legal Support Team about the reports of police violence and brutality as well as legal questions concerning whether it was lawful to evict people from public land, the powers and authorities of Melbourne City Council enforcement officers and legal questions surrounding the confiscation and destruction of camp property by Melbourne City Council.

World Mental Health Week: 11 October 2011

Yesterday was World Mental Health Day, a day aimed at raising public awareness about mental health issues. So tonight on Done By Law, we’re talking about mental illness. People suffering from mental illness can sometimes be treated without their consent, both in hospital and in the community. When this happens, people can be subject to involuntary treatment because they can’t or won’t consent to treatment. Involuntary patients can be subjected to significant restrictions on their personal liberty. So what safeguards are there to protect their rights, and do the safeguards go far enough? Tonight on Done By Law we talk to Catherine Leslie, lawyer and policy officer at the Mental Health Legal Centre and Merinda Epstein, a consumer of mental health services and coordinator of Our Consumer Place, a resource for mental health consumers.

DBL 27 September 2011 - Reverse Presumptions & Decarceration

Natasha Wholan is a Drug Outreach Lawyer with Fitzroy Legal Service. On the show she talks about her experience as a newly admitted lawyer involved in the Momcilovic case which raised human rights arguments in criminal matters and was heard in the High Court of Australia.

Terri Silvertree is an advocate with the Decarceration Network which is working to promote decarceration and abolitionist messages through a poster that outlines the real impacts of imprisonment and criminalisation in terms of violence, recividism and community safety. The poster was recently launched by the Centre for the Human Rights of Imprisoned People.