with-you-we-can-2025

Justice On Trial: Evidence, Power and Who Gets Left Behind

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:08:58 GMT

What kind of justice system asks for evidence, but leaves the person expected to give it behind?

For most victim-survivors of sexual violence, the criminal legal system is disorienting, isolating, and often feels impossible to navigate. Decisions are made around you. Your voice can feel distant from the very process meant to deliver justice. Because legally, the victim-survivor is peripheral to the case against their own perpetrator.

This event invites you to confront the realities of a system that too often fails those it is meant to protect, and to engage with the reforms needed in Victoria to deliver justice that is fair, informed, and responsive.

Leading the conversation is victim-survivor advocate and legal reform campaigner Nicole Meyer, who will share her experience navigating one of Australia’s most high-profile sexual abuse trials - and the more than decade-long journey that followed.

Following Nicole’s story, legal reform advocate Lara Freidin will facilitate a panel discussion with Nicole, alongside Executive Director of With You We Can Sarah Rosenberg and Director of Policy, Advocacy and Communications at Women’s Legal Service Victoria, Roj Amedi. Together, they will explore what meaningful reform could look like in Victoria, and how lived experience can drive it.

At the heart of this conversation is the Australian Law Reform Commission's Recommendation 10 , a legislative ask grounded in a simple but powerful idea: that victim-survivors deserve to be protected and supported within the process that depends on them. It calls for:

Legislative reform to give independent legal representatives standing to appear in court on behalf of complainants of sexual violence
Protection of complainants' personal, sensitive, and confidential information (including counselling records, medical records, diaries, social media, phone records and more) when that information is sought through subpoena or inspection of third-party materials
A notification mechanism so that complainants are told when a subpoena has been issued to a third party for their personal information, and can seek legal advice

This event is for legal professionals, policymakers, advocates, and community members who believe the system can do better. Join us to listen, learn, and to help shape what justice could become.

Sunday 26th April 2026

5-7pm

Sanders Place, 11-15 Albert St, Richmond, Melbourne

CLICK TO REGISTER

That’s What She Said

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 08:46:46 GMT

“If one person can sit through this play and feel less alone and seen because of it, then I’ve done my job and for me, that’s it.”

– Josie Gazard (playwright, survivor advocate)

A 19-year-old girl has just moved from her country town home to a residential college in the city. Life is bliss – friends, parties, uni life. However, when the unexpected occurs, she is forced to re-examine the culture of her new home as she grapples with receiving justice in a system built on her word against his.

Written as a response to the ongoing problem of sexual violence on university campuses, ‘That’s What She Said’ asks us to examine what exactly the system is (or isn’t) doing to protect victims and prevent these crimes.

Written and performed by Josephine Gazard
Directed by Suzanne Millar
Presented by CrissCross Productions

Walkley Award winning journalist and lead author of The Red Zone Report, Nina Funnell reports :

“Josephine’s one woman, 75-minute performance was selected to be performed at the Storyteller festival in 2022, where Josephine received a full standing ovation.”

“Already the play has attracted the support of some powerful figures in the theatre world including Suzie Miller, author of Prima Facie.”

‘That’s What She Said’ is partnering with With You We Can to host panels following Saturday performances. Panels will tackle subjects such as consent education, the legal system, sexual assault in First Nations communities and rape on campus.

Director and Co-Founder of With You We Can Sarah Rosenberg says, “Universities have the opportunity to offer victims the validation that the criminal justice system doesn’t. Instead, we’re seeing re-traumatisation and a lack of discipline just the same.”

May 6

Anna Coutts-Trotter
Harrison James

May 13

Nina Funnell
Sarah Rosenberg
Katrina Marson

May 20

Ashlee Donohue
Bronwyn Penrith

May 27

Camille Schloeffel
Sarah Hanson Young
Sarah Williams
Natalie Brown

Saturdays @ 5pm with panel

Sundays and Mondays @ 7.30pm

KXT Vault
181 Broadway, Ultimo NSW 2007

Something Has To Change

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 08:40:04 GMT

“Victims’ rights should be disentangled from the punitive, law and order rhetoric. Instead the focus should be on victims as people and victims’ rights as fundamental to justice.”

– Michael O’Connell (Former Commissioner for Victims’ Rights, SA)

Tessa is a thoroughbred. A young, brilliant barrister who loves to win. She has worked her way up from working class origins to be at the top of her game; defending; cross examining and lighting up the shadows of doubt in any case. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge.

After a sold out London season, Jodie Comer, Emmy and Bafta Award-winning star of TV’s Killing Eve, makes her Broadway debut in Suzie Miller’s ‘Prima Facie’, first staged at Sydney’s Griffin Theatre.

Written by Suzie Miller
Directed by Justin Martin

A searing indictment of a legal system that consistently fails women, ‘Prima Facie’ is a powerful tool to create more understanding around our justice system. If we do this, we highlight its limitations to a wider audience and become better placed to reform it. With You We Can invites criminal lawyers, services and advocates to view Suzie Miller’s award-winning play, and listen to experts on why business as usual is not good enough.

Thursday May 18th @ 6pm

Bangarra Dance Theatre
Whart 4/5
15 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay

Associate Professor of Law, Karen O’Connell writes:

“The gap between the two worlds of meaning in Prima Facie needs to be closed so that women’s experiences become the stuff of which law is made.”

Michael O’Connell AM APM

Michael O’Connell AM APM is a consulting victimologist, a member of the volunteer international faculty of Victimology and serves as a volunteer expert on crime victims’ rights with the UN. From 2006 until mid-2018, Michael served as the inaugural Commissioner for Victims’ Rights, South Australia. During these terms, he took concrete steps (including engaging legal counsel) to strengthen victims’ participatory rights, and he co-chaired the National Victims of Crime Working Group that formulated Australia’s first national framework on victims’ rights and victim assistance (which the Attorneys-General of Australia endorsed in 2013) and produced guidelines for assisting Australians as victims of terrorism overseas (which the Attorneys-General of Australia endorsed in 2018). Before his appointment as commissioner, he served as the state’s first Victims of Crime Co-ordinator and while employed as a police officer he was appointed the state’s first Victim Impact Statement Co-ordinator. Although semi-retired, Michael continues to advocate locally, nationally and internationally for a fairer and safer justice for victims and survivors of crime.

Dr Mary Iliadis

Dr Mary Iliadis’ research expertise are in the areas of domestic, family and sexual violence, victims’ rights, legal representation for victims of sexual offences, and procedural and substantive justice for victim/survivors. Her work is situated within broader debates about the role, rights and treatment of victims of gender-based violence in adversarial legal systems, and outlines prospects for the transfer of policy and practice between national and international jurisdictions. Dr Iliadis’ scholarship has featured in national and international commissions of inquiry, and the real-world application of her work can be seen in the education and training of practitioners and strategies to impact legal, policy and practice reform.

Lara Freidin

Lara Freidin is a community lawyer and social justice advocate who currently serves as the Executive Officer of Women’s Legal Services Australia. She is passionate about improving access to specialist legal assistance for women who have experienced family, domestic and sexual violence. Lara has over a decade of experience working on law reform and advocating for policy development to address violence against women and advance gender equality. She has held policy roles with Women’s Legal Service Queensland, Women’s Legal Service Victoria, Victoria Legal Aid, and the Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria. Prior to this, she worked as a Ministerial Adviser in the Victorian Government to improve supports for victim-survivors of crime. She also sits on the board of Flat Out, an organisation dedicated to supporting women, trans and gender diverse people who have been criminalised.

Sarah Rosenberg

Sarah Rosenberg is the Director and Co-Founder of With You We Can, a national resource demystifying the police and legal processes for victims of sexual violence while working to improve them. Sarah connects advocates, experts and services across the sector to amplify the work of others with her resource and encourage collaboration. Aside from using her lived experience in this way, Sarah is Impact & Evaluation Officer at 10×10 Philanthropy, and Head of Policy & Research at Run For It Australia.

Karen Iles

Karen Iles is a lawyer, accredited mediator, consultant, board director, sexual assault survivor and Dharug Aboriginal woman. She is the Founder and Principal Solicitor of Violet Co Legal & Consulting, a social enterprise with the purpose to create radical solutions and just outcomes for women, gender diverse and First Nations people. Karen speaks about her personal lived experience of sexual assault, police accountability and the justice system to inspire social change and promote healing. In 2022, Karen was the recipient of the Law Society of NSW Pro Bono Service Award in recognition of her outstanding service to the NSW Legal Profession and the Community. Karen’s advocacy work was recognised in the Australian Human Rights Commission 2022 Annual Oration delivered by Professor Larissa Behrendt. Karen holds a number of current Non-Executive Director board roles – The National Justice Project, First Australians Capital and Marist180. She was appointed to the Australian Catholic Safeguarding panel in 2022 to review claims of sexual assault within the Catholic Church institutions and is a current appointee to the NSW Law Society Employment Law Committee and advisor to Teach Us Consent.

Despite decades of reform, the police and legal systems continue to fail victims of sexual violence. It is our belief that the addition of Independent legal Representation (ILR) for victims, with the inclusion of Victim Standing in the courtroom, can be the factor that finally makes a difference.

Watch this space!

In Conversation with Igniting Change

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 08:21:05 GMT

“It took away my agency, just like it was taken during my assault, just as I chose to reclaim it.”

– Sarah Rosenberg (Co-Founder and Director, With You We Can)

Jane Tewson in conversation with Sarah Rosenberg ( With You We Can ) and Nina Funnell ( Let Her Speak ).

26th July, 11am
MECCA, 35 Wangaratta St Richmond, Melbourne

RSVP to melanie@ignitingchange.org.au

Igniting Change

Igniting Change’s visits to meet the people, feel the issues increase awareness of thorny issues that are often hidden in plain sight. Bridging the gap that separates people experiencing problems from those who are in a position to help can be life changing for everyone. Most of the courageous groups and individuals we support are tackling tough, entrenched, often unpopular issues and struggle to attract funding.

In Support of Independent Legal Representation

sarah_rosenberg@outlook.com (Sarah Rosenberg) — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 17:08:58 GMT

“The legitimate rights of the accused should be protected and fulfilled. So too the rights of the community.”

– Victorian Law Reform Commission, 2021

Australia has not been immune from calls to strengthen its criminal justice system. Over the past seven years, multiple separate inquiries have considered matters affecting complainants of sexual violence and their recourse to justice. And yet, knowing that we rely on victims to report crime and cooperate as a witness so that the state may prosecute, our treatment of victims is dramatically behind where it should be.

Independent legal representation has surfaced as a major factor in reducing secondary victimisation and high attrition rates. While often positioned as solely in the interests of the victim, it can support the state’s prosecution efforts and lead to improved substantive justice outcomes.

This event co-ordinates advocates, lawyers and academics to discuss models of independent legal representation for victims abroad, and how we might apply similar principles in Australia. The discussion will be preceded by a short screening of Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie, a powerful tool to create more developed understanding of our justice system in these contexts.

Friday August 18th @ 12:30pm

Level 1, Law Lounge
New Law Building Annex
Eastern Ave, Camperdown Campus
University of Sydney

Written by Suzie Miller
Directed by Justin Martin

Associate Professor of Law Karen O’Connell:

“ The gap between the two worlds of meaning in Prima Facie needs to be closed so that women’s experiences become the stuff of which law is made.”

Michael O’Connell AM APM

Michael O’Connell AM APM is a consulting victimologist , a member of the volunteer international faculty of Victimology and serves as a volunteer expert on crime victims’ rights with the UN.

From 2006 until mid-2018, Michael served as the inaugural Commissioner for Victims’ Rights, South Australia. During these terms, he took concrete steps (including engaging legal counsel) to strengthen victims’ participatory rights, and he co-chaired the National Victims of Crime Working Group that formulated Australia’s first national framework on victims’ rights and victim assistance (which the Attorneys-General of Australia endorsed in 2013) and produced guidelines for assisting Australians as victims of terrorism overseas (which the Attorneys-General of Australia endorsed in 2018).

Before his appointment as commissioner, he served as the state’s first Victims of Crime Co-ordinator and while employed as a police officer he was appointed the state’s first Victim Impact Statement Co-ordinator.

Although semi-retired, Michael continues to advocate locally, nationally and internationally for a fairer and safer justice for victims and survivors of crime.

Associate Professor Kerstin Braun

Kerstin Braun is an Associate Professor in the School of Law and Justice at the University of Southern Queensland, where she is involved in teaching criminal law and procedure. She completed her Ph.D and LL.M at The University of Queensland.

Kerstin’s research interests lie in the area of criminal law and procedure with an emphasis on how the law relates to vulnerability. In her PhD research Kerstin analysed the role of victims in criminal procedure in Germany and Australia in relation to participation in light of the 1985 UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power. She is the author of several articles in high-impact Australian and international journals and chapters in edited book collections, which ponder the parameters of victim participation in inquisitorial and adversarial systems. Her monograph Victim Participation Rights-Variation Across Criminal Justice Systems (Palgrave, 2019) was awarded the 2020 American Society of Criminology, Division of Victimology Robert Jerin Book of the Year Award.

Prior to commencing work in academia, Kerstin practiced law as an Associate at the Berlin office of Baker & McKenzie, Germany. She tutored and guest lectured criminal law and procedure, criminology and criminal justice at The University of Queensland (2011-2014) and is a visiting lecturer in the University of Bonn’s foreign law program.

Eleanor Danks

Eleanor is an advocate for transformative models of justice that view harm through an anti-colonial and anti-patriarchal lens. Using her experience as a survivor of sexual violence, her training in somatic psychotherapy, and her experience and training as a lawyer, she aims to help people understand the shortcomings of our punitive legal system and to see that there are more trauma-informed and holistic ways available for how we deal with harm.

As a lawyer, Eleanor has experience in the refugee sector, community legal centres, with First Nations communities, and in the criminal justice system. However, it was her experience of going through the legal system as a survivor of intimate partner sexual violence at the same time as working at the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions that solidified her belief that our criminal justice system is letting down not only survivors, but offenders and the community as a whole.

In 2022 Eleanor gave a TedX talk titled ‘Transformative Justice Principles to Reclaim Humanity’, and is now working towards creating deep systemic change so that we can finally see an end to sexual violence.

with-you-we-can-2025

Justice On Trial: Evidence, Power and Who Gets Left Behind

What kind of justice system asks for evidence, but leaves the person expected to give it behind? ﻿

Sunday 26th April 2026

5-7pm

Sanders Place, 11-15 Albert St, Richmond, Melbourne

CLICK TO REGISTER

That’s What She Said

“If one person can sit through this play and feel less alone and seen because of it, then I’ve done my job and for me, that’s it.”

“Josephine’s one woman, 75-minute performance was selected to be performed at the Storyteller festival in 2022, where Josephine received a full standing ovation.”

﻿

“Already the play has attracted the support of some powerful figures in the theatre world including Suzie Miller, author of Prima Facie.”

Saturdays @ 5pm with panel

Sundays and Mondays @ 7.30pm

Something Has To Change

“Victims’ rights should be disentangled from the punitive, law and order rhetoric. Instead the focus should be on victims as people and victims’ rights as fundamental to justice.”

Thursday May 18th @ 6pm

“The gap between the two worlds of meaning in Prima Facie needs to be closed so that women’s experiences become the stuff of which law is made.”

Michael O’Connell AM APM

Dr Mary Iliadis

Lara Freidin

Sarah Rosenberg

Karen Iles

In Conversation with Igniting Change

“It took away my agency, just like it was taken during my assault, just as I chose to reclaim it.”

Igniting Change

In Support of Independent Legal Representation

“The legitimate rights of the accused should be protected and fulfilled. So too the rights of the community.”

Friday August 18th @ 12:30pm

“ The gap between the two worlds of meaning in Prima Facie needs to be closed so that women’s experiences become the stuff of which law is made.”

Michael O’Connell AM APM

Associate Professor Kerstin Braun

Eleanor Danks

Sarah Rosenberg

What kind of justice system asks for evidence, but leaves the person expected to give it behind?