George Newhouse

“Police are not carers of last resort.”

I spoke with ABC NewsRadio about police brutality, police accountability and why Australia urgently needs Alternative First Responders.

Too often, police are sent to medical, mental health, drug, alcohol and social crises where care, de-escalation and support are needed. Instead, people can be met with force, arrest and criminalisation.

At the National Justice Project, we are calling for:

• Alternative First Responders for people in crisis
• stronger police accountability
• proper use of body-worn cameras
• independent investigation of police violence and deaths
• support for Copwatch and community-led accountability

This is not just about a few “bad apples”. It is about culture, oversight and whether the system is designed for accountability or complaint management.

Watch the interview here:

https://youtu.be/cx1Pu9a36oI

Please watch, share and help build support for the Alternative First Responders campaign.

Why Australia Needs Alternative First Responders | George Newhouse on Police Brutality George Newhouse, CEO of the National Justice Project, speaks on ABC...

This is one of the hardest pieces I’ve written.

It’s about fear, silence, antisemitism, human rights, and the need to resist the pressure to dehumanise others.

Thanks to everyone who continues trying to hold onto empathy and principle in a deeply polarised time.

I was afraid to make a submission to the antisemitism royal commission. But silence has consequences too | George Newhouse I work in a sector that speaks out on racism and human rights, yet on this issue I have felt the boundaries of acceptable speech narrow around me

I had a small moment on screen recently in the ABC series Judgment: Cases That Changed Australia (S1, Episode 4: “The Vote”).

This episode dives into one of the most fundamental questions in any democracy: who gets to vote? From prisoner voting rights to access to the electoral roll, it explores how the law shapes participation and citizenship.

What I love about the series is how it shows that constitutional law is not abstract theory. It is lived experience. Real people, real consequences, and often hard-fought battles that define the kind of society we become. It also gives insight into strategies for strategic litigation (see Mabo episode).

I am honoured to have played a small part in telling stories that sit right at the intersection of law, rights, and democracy.

If you are interested in how courts shape everyday life and our individual rights,it is well worth a watch:

https://iview.abc.net.au/show/judgment-cases-that-changed-australia/series/1/video/DO2445H004S00

Judgment: Cases That Changed Australia: S1 Episode 4 Vote An unlikely hero takes on laws that silence citizens and reignites a democratic struggle older than the nation itself. (Final)

I am grateful to receive the Order of Australia (AM) today. This honour belongs as much to the clients who trusted me with their fight for justice, and to the colleagues and teams who have worked beside me over many years,at the National Justice Project, Shine Lawyers and Surry Partners. But… there is still much to be done.
This photo was taken in the 1980s when my father received his MBE. He is no longer with us, but thinking of him today makes this moment especially poignant. I am especially grateful to my family for standing by me, with patience and love, throughout National Justice Project

And this doesn’t help anything or anyone

www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org

My piece in the guardian today - Long before the shocking killings in Sydney, the threat of antisemitic violence was often left unchallenged. That must change

After the Bondi attack, all Australians must support the right of Jews to live without fear Long before the shocking killings in Sydney, the threat of antisemitic violence was often left unchallenged. That must change

The worst Aboriginal deaths in custody statistics in 40 years exposes our national disgrace. It is time to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody and, in particular, to divert individuals too social services and health care instead of prison or detention National Justice Project

Spike in indigenous deaths in custody - ABC listen First Nations people made up 29% of all deaths in custody last financial year, despite being just 4% of the Australian population.

Earlier this week, we celebrated 10 years of the National Justice Project at Admiralty House and a decade of and a decade of standing up to injustice, challenging harmful systems, and supporting the people most impacted by them.

It was a very special evening, generously hosted by Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of Australia, with many of our clients, supporters and partners joining us to mark this milestone.

The most powerful part of the night was hearing from our clients. Their courage, resilience and willingness to speak truth to power is the reason the NJP exists. They inspire us every single day

Over the past ten years, the National Justice Project has spoken truth to power, supported clients facing injustice across Australia, and driven reforms to the systems that fail them.

We’ve combined legal expertise, advocacy, and innovative tools to drive change.

While the evening was a celebration of impact, it was also a reminder that there is still much work to do.

A special thank you to His Excellency Mr Simeon Beckett SC whose unwavering commitment to the people we serve has shaped our organisation in profound ways.

To everyone who has supported us over the last ten years; our clients, our staff and alumni, volunteers, donors, partners and community, thank you for standing with us. National Justice Project

Half a century ago, I was just a schoolboy standing in the crowd at an ALP rally in Hyde Park.
These were turbulent years in Australia and they were marked by shock, anxiety and a growing fear about the stability of our democracy. It was a time when many felt the ground shifting beneath them, unsure of what might come next.
A friend recently pointed out this old photograph and reckons they spotted me there in the sea of faces. Seeing it again after all these years brought back the feeling of what it meant to witness history as a young person: the energy of the crowd, the urgency of the moment, and the sense that the decisions being debated would matter for generations.
It’s a reminder of why public life, activism and the defence of rights have always mattered to me, and why they still do. Moments like this stay with you. They shape the work you choose, the fights you take up, and the values you carry forward.
Fifty years on, I’m grateful for the journey that began in places just like this.