We wish you a very Murri Christmas and all the very best for the summer holidays and the New Year.
To our funding bodies and the many community, partner, and stakeholder organisations we’ve had the pleasure of working with this year: thank you. Your continued support throughout 2025 has been vital to our work, and we look forward to walking alongside you again in 2026.
🎄 Christmas Holiday Reduced Office Hours: Our offices will operate with reduced hours over the break; however, we will still have a rostered on-call team available.
• Reduced Hours: Monday, 22nd Dec 2025 – Monday, 5th Jan 2026.
• For urgent matters, call us on our Freecall 24/7 number: 1800 012 255.
📍 Office Moves! It’s been a busy year of growth! We’d like to remind our community that several of our offices have relocated in the second half of 2025. Please check our contacts page https://atsils.org.au/contact/ for updated addresses for our Cairns, Townsville, Maroochydore, and Normanton offices.
Once again, Merry Christmas, stay safe, and stay deadly!
Advocating for Change: Our Voice in the Justice System 🏛️⚖️
New CLE Resource – Expanded Police Wanding Powers (Jack’s Law) ⚖️
Helping Mob Navigate Expanded Police Wanding Powers (Jack’s Law) ⚖️
Community safety is important, but so are your rights. ✊🏾
With the introduction of Jack’s Law, police powers in Queensland have expanded. Police can now use handheld metal detection wands to search for weapons in certain public areas without a warrant or “reasonable suspicion.”
These expanded powers can have a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. To support community, ATSILS has developed a new legal education resource to help Mob stay informed.
This video is designed to provide clear, practical guidance to community on:
📍 Where these searches happen (like transport hubs & night precincts).
✋ Your rights when being stopped for a scan.
✅ Your responsibilities during the process to keep things calm.
📺Watch the video to learn how to navigate these interactions safely.
Need Legal Support?
If you or someone you know has been charged, or if you believe you have experienced unfair treatment or discrimination during a police wanding process, we encourage you to reach out for professional legal advice.
📞 ATSILS 24/7 Free Call: 1800 012 255
Animation produced by Punchy Studio
Submission 2026 Commonwealth Consultation – First Nations Education Policy
View our latest submission re: First Nations Education Policy Discussion Paper Consultation
Linked here: Submission-2026-Commonwealth-Consultation-First-Nations-Education-Policy-Upload-Version.pdf
For a list of all our latest legal submissions, please visit: Submissions – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (QLD) Ltd
🎥 Strengthening Pathways to Justice in the Far North 🎥
Our Cairns team is proud to be part of a critical partnership with the Family Responsibilities Commission (FRC), aimed at empowering First Nations people to fully participate in the criminal justice system.
The impact of this collaboration is captured in the new film, ‘My Justice Journey’. It follows the vital work of FRC Local Commissioners—respected Elders in the Aurukun community—as they provide essential, culturally grounded support to vulnerable community members navigating the justice system.
This project is a powerful testament to the necessity of community-led solutions in achieving meaningful justice outcomes.
Recent Office Moves – We’re Growing to Better Serve Our Communities!
View our latest Submissions
Our Latest Submissions
2026
2025
To view all of ATSILS Submissions, please visit: Submissions – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (QLD) Ltd
Updated Legal Fact Sheet – Domestic Violence Protection Orders
Murri Christmas from the ATSILS Team! 🎄 | Holiday Hours & Office Updates
To our funding bodies and the many community, partner, and stakeholder organisations we’ve had the pleasure of working with this year: thank you. Your continued support throughout 2025 has been vital to our work, and we look forward to walking alongside you again in 2026.
🎄 Christmas Holiday Reduced Office Hours: Our offices will operate with reduced hours over the break; however, we will still have a rostered on-call team available.
• Reduced Hours: Monday, 22nd Dec 2025 – Monday, 5th Jan 2026.
• For urgent matters, call us on our Freecall 24/7 number: 1800 012 255.
📍 Office Moves! It’s been a busy year of growth! We’d like to remind our community that several of our offices have relocated in the second half of 2025. Please check our contacts page https://atsils.org.au/contact/ for updated addresses for our Cairns, Townsville, Maroochydore, and Normanton offices.
Once again, Merry Christmas, stay safe, and stay deadly!
Our Cairns Office is Currently Moving! 📦
We look forward to welcoming clients at our new location early in the New Year, from Monday, 5th January 2026!
Current Status: The team is currently in the process of relocating to our new home. This is being undertaken between: 16th-19th December 2025, and our office will be closed to the public during this time and up until the 5th January 2026.
Urgent Needs: Calls to our Cairns office (Ph: 4046 6400) will be handled by our statewide teams who are standing by to take your calls and put you in touch with legal support.
As always, for any urgent Criminal Law matters, you can call our 24/7 hotline – 1800 012 255.
Solutions instead of suspensions: what’s already working in Qld schools?
Online Event: Wed, 3 Dec, 6pm – 7:15pm AEST
Register for Event:
https://events.humanitix.com/solutions-instead-of-suspensions