Disability Rights Campaigner Nominated for Justice Medal

Former Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes AM, now chair of Attitude Foundation, has been nominated for the 2014 Justice Medal.

Exodus Foundation founder and CEO Rev Bill Crews is also among the nine nominees for the prestigious medal.

The Justice Medal will be presented at the 16th annual Justice Awards dinner, hosted by the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, at Parliament House in Sydney on 29 October 2014.

Director of the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, Geoff Mulherin, said the purpose of the Justice Awards is to recognise people who have made an outstanding contribution to improving access to justice for disadvantaged people.

“The breadth of people nominated this year who have made a real difference in our community is impressive.?”

The Law and Justice Foundation of NSW announced the nominees for the Justice Medal, as well as the Aboriginal Justice Award, the Pro Bono Partnership Award, and the Law and Justice Volunteer Award, following a public call for nominations in May.

“?The ten nominees for the Aboriginal Justice Award come from as far afield as Brewarrina, Kempsey, Toronto, Goulburn and Nowra, and from metropolitan and Western Sydney. Programs spanning domestic violence, circle sentencing and legal education are vying for the award,”Geoff Mulherin said.

?Among the six Law and Justice Volunteer Award nominees are an autism carers? support advocate, a family law advocate and a champion for the rights of older Australians.

?The Pro Bono Partnership Award, which encourages partnerships between law firms and community organisations, attracted six nominations. Initiatives included a schools? legal education program, a support program for asylum seeker detainees and a legal advice service for international students.

The Law Society President?s Award, Community Legal Centres NSW Award and the Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC) Centre of Excellence Award will also be presented.

Former head of VicHealth and the Australian National Preventive Health Agency, Dr Rhonda Galbally AO, will deliver this year?s Law and Justice Address at the awards dinner which will be attended by 300 people.

The Law and Justice Foundation of NSW was founded in 1967 to improve access to justice for socially and economically disadvantaged people.

See the PDF for full list of nominees.