This resource, Human rights compliant, culturally appropriate monitoring expectations for police custody by Andreea Lachsz, supports the implementation of Australia’s obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), which requires independent monitoring of places where people are deprived of liberty.
Developed with support from Churchill Trust Impact Funding and in collaboration with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and people with lived and professional expertise, it sets out practical expectations to guide oversight of police custody, an area where consistent standards remain underdeveloped despite high risks of harm.
Designed for Australia’s National Preventive Mechanism, the resource centres culturally appropriate, human rights based approaches, particularly in light of the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the criminal legal system.
It is intended as a practical, adaptable tool that can be refined over time to strengthen monitoring and improve conditions in police custody.