Submissions

Women’s Legal Service NSW (WLS) undertakes a range of law reform and policy work. To find out more about our work visit the Law Reform page.

From time to time WLS issues media releases about our work. For a list of links to news reports and media items see WLS in the media.

Recent submissions, letters and reports

2024

June 2024

2023

December 2023
September 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
February 2023

2022

December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
August 2022
July 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022

2021

December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
August 2021
July  2021
June  2021
March 2021
February 2021
  • Open letter to Attorney-General: Expressing concerns with proposed family court merger
    – originally issued 11 November 2019, signatures updated 17 February 2021
January 2021

2020

December 2020
November 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020

2019

November 2019
October 2019
  • Endorsed: Blueprint for Reform: Removing Barriers to Safety for Victims/Survivors of Domestic and Family Violence on Temporary Visas
    October 2019
August 2019
  • Joint Submission: Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019 – calling to expand list of “competent person” to provide evidence of domestic violence when ending tenancy in circumstances of domestic violence beyond medical practitioners
    2 August 2019
April 2019
  • Submission: WLS NSW submission to Their Futures Matter – Access System Redesign: Moving the system from crisis to early help: connecting children, young people and families to the right support at the right time
    5 April 2019
March 2019
  • Report: #MeToo: Legal Responses to Sexual Harassment at Work
    A Kingsford Legal Centre, Redfern Legal Centre, Women’s Legal Service NSW and National Association of Community Legal Centres Joint Report.
    The report is also our submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces
February 2019

2018

November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
June 2018
May 2018

2017

December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
January 2017

Browse previous documents by year of publication

These documents are generally provided in PDF format . If you require these documents in another format for accessibility reasons, please contact us at reception@wlsnsw.org.au

2016

December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
February 2016
January 2016

2015

December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015

2014

December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014

2013

Journal article: Carolyn Jones, ‘Foetal Personhood Law For NSW?’ (2013) 38(4) Alternative Law Journal 277

Journal article: Edwina MacDonald & Liz Snell, ‘Transforming rhetoric into reality: addressing the challenges of making the elimination of violence against women a lived reality in Australia’ (2013) 19 The Journal Jurisprudence 179 

Submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission on Serious Invasions of Privacy in the Digital Era (28 November 2013)

Media mention: “History must not repeat in adoption laws” Sydney Morning Herald (24 November 2013)

Submission to Criminal Law Review in response to the Exposure Draft Crimes Amendment (Provocation) Bill 2013 (14 November 2013)

Open Letter to Minister Goward about Child Protection Legislative Reform (7 November 2013)

Letter to the editor in response to SMH opinion piece (8 November 2013)

Submission in response to the Productivity Commission’s Access to Justice Arrangements Issues Paper (4 November 2013)

Letter to the Attorney General re Zoe’s Law Bill No. 2 (30 October 2013)

Letter to the Attorney General re the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment Bill (30 October 2013)

Submission to the National Centre for Excellence about research priority issues (1 October 2013)

Media mention: “Women MPs fear Zoe’s bill will criminalise abortion” Sydney Morning Herald (11 September 2013)

Media mention: “NSW Abortion Bill Is Bad For Women” New Matilda (10 September 2013)

Letter to the Attorney General re Zoe’s Law Bill No. 2 (30 August 2013)

Letter to the Attorney General re Zoe’s Law Bill (26 August 2013)

Submission on the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Framework (29 July 2013)

Submission to the Family Law Council’s review of parentage laws (1 July 2013)

Media release: Timeframe required for government’s response to family violence (27 June 2013)

Media release: Ending violence against women is a whole of government responsibility (25 June 2013)

Journal Article: Julia Mansour and Liz Snell, “‘Rising up’ to end violence against women – how far have we come in twenty years?” Human Rights Defender, Volume 22(1) May 2013

Media mention: “Child abuse victims exempted from time limits in new law”, Newcastle Herald (30 May 2013)

Media mention: “Govt passes bill to cut compo payouts for violence victims”, Clarence Valley Daily Examiner (30 May 2013)

Media release: Community Legal Centres NSW dismayed by passing of Bill abolishing NSW Victims Compensation Scheme (30 May 2013)

Opinion piece: Mari Vagg and Liz Snell, “A shameful retreat in the battle against domestic violence”, The Drum  ABC (28 May 2013)

Media mention: ‘”Arbitrary and brutal” NSW compensation changes spark UN complaint’, Sydney Morning Hearld (21 May 2013)

Media mention: “NSW compo changes spark UN complaint”, Sydney Morning Hearld (20 May 2013)

Media mention: “NSW abuse survivors ‘betrayed’ amid new bill proposal”, Global Times (China) (20 May 2013)

Media Release: Women’s organisations and human rights lawyers appeal to UN to prevent abolishing of NSW victims compensation scheme (20 May 2013)

Urgent appeal to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women on the introduction of the Victims Rights and Support Bill 2013 (17 May 2013)

Position paper: Changes to the NSW Victims Compensation Scheme – Issues of concern (16 May 2013)

Media Interview about the changes to Victims Compensation, Radio National (8 May 2013)

Media Release: Victims compensation changes set to impact on Royal Commission child sexual abuse victims (8 May 2013)

Media mention: “DPP ‘should decide if victims charged'”, The Australian (7 May 2013)

Submission to the Inquiry into the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill 2013 (3 May 2013) (Submission No 78)

Submission on the Health Insurance Amendment (Medicare Funding for Certain Types of Abortion) Bill 2013 (Submission No 192)

Media mention: “Divorce fee ‘too high’ for poor”, The Australian (26 April 2013)

Media Release: Provocation law reform fairer for females (23 April 2013)

Submission to the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Inquiry into the impact of federal court fee increases since 2010 on access to justice in Australia (12 April 2013) (Submission No 12)

Submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs Inquiry into the Involuntary or Coerced Sterlisation of People with Disabilities in Australia (2 April 2013) (Submission No 70)

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications Inquiry into the feasibility of a prohibition on charging fees for an unlisted number service (28 March 2013) (Submission No 12)

Comments to the NSW Department of Family and Community Services on the Child Protection Legislative Reform Discussion Paper (18 March 2013)

Journal article: Liz Snell, “NSW Government targets vulnerable parents” (2013) 38(1) Alternative Law Journal 58

Journal article: Journal article: Liz Snell and Rachel Ball, “Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill” (2013) 38(1) Alternative Law Journal 54

Submission to the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into Same Sex Marriage Law in NSW (1 March 2013)

Response to the NSW Ombudsman Inquiry into Removal of Face Covering for Identification Purposes (25 February 2013)

Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women on the General Discussion on Access to Justice (1 February 2013)

2012

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in response to the Inquiry into the Exposure Draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 (20 December 2012) (Submission No 339)

NACLC and KLC submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in response to the Inquiry into the Exposure Draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 (20 December 2012) (Submission No 334)

“Victims Compensation: Vital for Victims”, Alternative Law Journal, Vol 37(4)

Submission in Response to the Consultation Paper on the Establishment of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (26 November 2012)

Submission to Australian Attorney-General’s Department in response to Draft Fifth Report on Convention Against Torture Report (15 November 2012)

Submission to the Review of NSW Court Support Services (9 November 2012)

Response to the release of the first of four Implementation Plans of the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children (5 November 2012)

Corrective Service NSW Women’s Advisory Council’s Submission to the NSW Law Reform Commission’s Review: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 – Special Categories of Offenders – Women (24 October 2012) (WLS NSW is a member of the Corrective Service NSW Women’s Advisory Council Consultant Group and contributed to this submission)

Urgent communication to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights on behalf of ACOSS and other Australian NGOs on the proposed introduction of the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Fair Incentives to Work) Bill 2012 in Australia (5 October 2012)

Open letter to the NSW Attorney General from 80 organisations calling for strengthening of the NSW Victims Compensation scheme (25 September 2012)

NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into the Partial Defence of Provocation – Answers to Questions on Notice, Supplementary Questions and Response to Options Paper (21 September 2012)

Submission to the Department of Attorney General and Justice in response to the Statutory Review: Consent Provisions of the Crimes Act 1900 (14 September 2012)

Submission to the Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency in response to Australia’s Skills and Workforce Development Needs Discussion Paper (10 September 2012)

Submission to the NSW Law Reform Commission in response to Question Paper 1: People with Cognitive and Mental Health Impairments in the Criminal Justice System and Apprehended Violence Orders (7 September 2012)

Media interview about the NSW provocation inquiry, Legal Matters 2UE (2 September 2012) (MP3 file – provocation interview approximately 32 mins into the program)

Media about the NSW provocation inquiry, The World Today (28 August 2012)

Media interview about the NSW provocation inquiry, The Wire (28 August 2012)

Public hearing transcript of NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into the Partial Defence of Provocation (28 August 2012) (WLSNSW’s evidence starts at page 9)

Submission to NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into the Partial Defence of Provocation (24 August 2012)

Submission to FaHCSIA in response to the Exposure Draft of the Homelessness Bill 2012 (10 August 2012)

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in response to the Inquiry into the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Slavery, Slavery-like Conditions and People Trafficking) Bill 2012 (9 August 2012) (Submission No 31)

Joint NGO Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee on the List of Issues Prior to reporting for the Sixth Periodic Review of Australia (ICCPR) (3 August 2012)

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations on the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Fair Incentives to Work) Bill (25 July 2012)  (Submission No 29)

Supplementary Submission to NSW Legislative Council Social Issues Committee on Domestic Violence Trends and Issues (3 July 2012)

NSW Legislative Council Social Issues Committee on Domestic Violence Trends and Issues Forum Transcript (18 June 2012)

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on a National Children’s Commissioner (5 June 2012) (Submission No 47)

“Review of NSW victims compensation scheme”, Alternative Law Journal, Vol 37(2) 135

Submission to Australian Attorney-General’s Department on the new financial assistance scheme (May 2012)

Submission to the Review of the NSW Victims Compensation Scheme (May 2012)

Background paper or Background paper and suggested ways to respond to the NSW Victims Compensation Review (April 2012)

Submission on Marriage Equality to the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs. Ours is submission Number 239 (April 2012)

Submission to Australian Attorney-General’s Department on the Draft National Human Rights Action Plan (5 March 2012)

NACLC submission to the Australian Attorney-General’s Department on its Consoidation of Commonwealth Anti-Discrimination Laws Discussion Paper (1 February 2012)

Submission to Australian Attorney-General’s Department on forced marriages aspect of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Slavery, Slavery-like Conditions and People Trafficking) Bill (23 January 2012)

Submission to the National Pro Bono Resource Centre on Alternative Dispute Resolution and the possible role of pro-bono lawyers (18 January 2012)

Blog post on a human rights agenda for the new Australian Attorney-General – violence against women (January 2012)

2011

Blog post on women and the National Human Rights Action Plan (November 2011)

Submission to Australian Communications and Media Authority on its proposed Number Plan (30 November 2011) 

Submission to NSW Department of Attorney General and Justice on the Statutory Review of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (18 November 2011)

Background paper  and template submission  on Australian Communication and Media Authority’s consultation on its Numbering Plan (November 2011)

Submission to Australian Attorney-General’s Department on priorities for its Convention Against Torture Report (3 November 2011)

Submission to NSW Department of Attorney General and Justice on Legal Services Review (31 October 2011)

“Media mention: Mari Vagg”, The Law Society of NSW Journal (October 2011)

Submission to NSW Legislative Council Social Issues Committee on Domestic Violence Trends and Issues (16 September 2011)

Submission to Australian Attorney-General’s Department on the National Human Rights Action Plan Baseline Study (7 September 2011) 

Media statement: ‘First NSW case places lesbian parent on birth certificate under equal parenting laws’ (17 August 2011)

WLSA submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on international child abduction (5 August 2011)

NACLC submission to Australian Attorney-General’s Department on federal court fees (8 July 2011)

Submission to the Family Law Council on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients and the Family Law System (7 June 2011)

WLSA brief for politicians on the Family Law Legislation (Family Violence and Other Measures) Amendment Bill (May 2011)

Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Commitee on the Family Law Legislation (Family Violence and Other Measures) Amendment Bill (29 April 2011)

WLSA submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Commitee on the Family Law Legislation (Family Violence and Other Measures) Amendment Bill (29 April 2011)

WLSA submission writing kit on theFamily Law Legislation (Family Violence and Other Measures) Amendment Bill (April 2011) 

WLSA position paper on the Family Law Legislation (Family Violence and Other Measures) Amendment Bill (12 April 2011)

Submisson to the Australian Law Reform Commission on its Family Violence and Commonwealth Laws: Employment & Superannuation Law Issues Paper (11 April 2011)

NACLC submission to the Australian Attorney-General’s Department on its proposal to consolidate anti-discrimination laws: areas for increased protection (April 2011)

Submission to the Australian Government on the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman scheme (4 April 2011)

NACLC submission to the Australian Attorney-General’s Department on its proposal to consolidate anti-discrimination laws: access to justice and systemic issues (March 2011) 

ERA submission to the Australian Attorney-General’s Department on its proposal to consolidate anti-discrimination laws (March 2011)

CEDAW Action Plan for Women in Australia – an NGO Resource Kit with YWCA Australia and the CEDAW NGO Advisory Group; 8 March 2011)

Evaluation Report on the Australian Universal Periodic Review NGO Coalition’s Advocacy in Geneva (with the Human Rights Law Resource Centre – 8 March 2011)

Submission to the Attorney-General’s Department on Forced and Servile Marriage (4 March 2011)

Opinion piece on the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children in the Human Rights Law Resource Centre Bulletin, pp 5-6 (March 2011)

Brief on Victims Compensation Changes (with CLCNSW; 23 February 2011)

Submission to Australian Attorney-General’s Department on the National Human Rights Action Plan (18 February 2011)

Press release from the Australian NGO Delegation (including WLSNSW) following Australia’s Periodic Review (1 February 2011)

WLS NSW Submission to Attorney-General’s Department on the draft Family Law Amendment (Family Violence) Bill (14 January 2011)

WLSA/AWAVA submission to Attorney-General’s Department on the draft Family Law Amendment (Family Violence) Bill (14 January 2011)

2010

Australian NGO Coalition’s Information Booklet and Thematic Fact Sheets for Australia’s Universal Periodic Review (December 2010)

WLSA submission writing kit for the Attorney-General’s Department’s consultation on the draft Family Law Amendment (Family Violence) Bill (December 2010)

WLSA position paper on the draft Family Law Amendment (Family Violence) Bill (14 December 2010)

Submission to Consultation on Federal Protection from Discrimination on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Sex and/or Gender Identity (26 November 2010)

Letter to the Prime Minister regarding equal pay for women (25 November 2010)

Supplementary submission to the Senate Reference Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on the Review of Government Compensation Payments (11 November 2010)

Election 2010: What’s in it for Women? (with Equality Rights Alliance; August 2010)

Submission to the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on the Sex and Age Discrimination Legislation Amendment Bill (27 October 2010)

Article published in the Australian Lawyers for Human Rights newsletter on Australia’s review under the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (19 October 2010)

Article published in Hobart Women’s Health Centre’s newsletter on Australia’s review under the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (October 2010)

Submission to the Australian Government on its Draft Universal Periodic Review Report (20 August 2010)

Letter to the Premier and other politicians on the Adoption Amendment (Same-Sex Couples) Bill (27 July 2010)

Submission to NSW Department of Justice and Attorney General on the Review of Laws Surrounding Criminal Incidents involving the Death of an Unborn Child (23 July 2010)

Joint NGO Submission to the Universal Periodic Review (July 2010)

Australian NGO’s Recommendations for Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women’s’ Concluding Observations on Australia (July 2010)

Australian NGO Issue Sheets for Australia’s review under the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (July 2010)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s NGO Issue Sheets for Australia’s review under the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (July 2010)

Submission to the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Bill 2010 (9 July 2010)

Letter to the Prime Minister regarding her new appointment and gender inequality in Australia (24 June 2010)

Submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission and the NSW Law Reform Commission on Family Violence: Improving Legal Frameworks (22 June 2010)

Update to the Australian NGO Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (June 2010)

Addendum to the Australian NGO Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (June 2010)

Update to the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Parallel NGO Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (June 2010)

Submission to the Senate References Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on the Review of Government Compensation Payments (8 June 2010)

Submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission on its draft submission to the Universal Periodic Review (2 June 2010)

Letter to the Minister for Fair Trading and other politicians regarding the domestic violence provisions of the Residential Tenancies Bill (20 May 2010)

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills into the future direction and role of the Committee (8 April 2010)

Submission to the Australian Government on its Universal Periodic Review (April 2010)

Submission to NSW Fair Trading on the domestic violence provisions in the draft Residential Tenancies Bill (24 February 2010)

2009

WLSA submission to Professor Chisholm on the Family Courts Violence Review (19 October 2009)

Opinion piece in Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse Newsletter 38 on the National Plan of Action to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children, p 7 (September 2009)

Submission to Victims Services on Strengthening the NSW Charter of Victims Rights (10 September 2009)

WLSA submission to the Australian Institute of Family Studies on the 2006 Family Law Reforms (24 August 2009)

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Parallel NGO Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (August 2009)

Australian NGO Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (July 2009)

WLS NSW submission to the National Human Rights Consultation Committee (15 June 2009)

WLSA submission to the National Human Rights Consultation Committee (15 June 2009)

WLSA submission to Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on its Inquiry into Access to Justice (29 May 2009)

WLSA submission to the Standing Committee of Attorneys General on a Proposal for a National Model to Harmonise Regulation of Surrogacy (24 April 2009)

WLSNSW submission to the NSW Office for Women on the development of the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Strategic Framework (17 April 2009)

CLCNSW submission to the NSW Office for Women on the development of the NSW Domestic and Family Violence Strategic Framework (10 April 2009)

NACLC submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission on Freedom of Religion and Belief (6 March 2009)

Interview with ABC Broken Hill Online regarding women’s human rights workshops held in Broken Hill (5 March 2009)

Submission to the NSW Legislative Council’s Standing Committee on Law and Justice on adoption by same sex couples (17 February 2009)

WLSA submission to the Australian Attorney-General’s Department on the Review of Future Governance Options for Federal Family Law Courts in Australia (6 February 2009)

Some of this work has been undertaken with other organisations and coalitions, such as:

Contact Information

For more information about our law reform work, please contact:

Liz Snell, Law Reform and Policy Coordinator

(02) 8745 6900

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