The ODPP is committed to advocating for the improved experiences of First Nations people within the criminal justice system. Find recent examples of our external engagement here.

Senate Inquiry

In July 2023, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sally Dowling SC, gave evidence to the federal Senate Inquiry into Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children. The Director was invited to give evidence by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee. Topics for discussion included prosecutors' policies and practices relating to cultural awareness and cultural safety; policies and practices when liaising with First Nations victims and their families, including communicating about the progress of cases and the bases for decisions and decision-making; and the various evidentiary and judicial processes that could be used to promote cultural safety and wellbeing. During her evidence, the Director reaffirmed that a priority of her directorship is ensuring that the ODPP better serves First Nations witnesses and victims, and that ODPP legal staff have a thorough understanding of trauma-informed practice. The Director’s evidence can be viewed through accessing the hearing transcript via this link.

Sydney Morning Herald – Prosecutions ‘frequently terminated’ to avoid harming First Nations victims: DPP

In September 2023, the Director was interviewed by Michaela Whitbourn of the Sydney Morning Herald about the experiences of First Nations victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system. The article that followed this interview can be accessed via this link.
 

Prosecution team in historic first 

When ODPP solicitor Zachary Wone instructed Crown Prosecutor Damian Beaufils in Parramatta District Court on 30 November 2023, it marked a significant event.
 
The special hearing was the first prosecution conducted in NSW by a First Nations solicitor and Crown Prosecutor team.
 
Mr Beaufils is a Gundungurra man and is based at the Parramatta office. He is Deputy Chair of the NSW Bar Association's First Nations Committee and is on the Bugmy Bar Book Project Committee.
 
Mr Wone, a Kabi Kabi and Australian South Sea Islander man, recently joined the Parramatta office after working for Legal Aid NSW. His pathway to the ODPP included being mentored by Crown Prosecutor Guy Newton SC as part of the ODPP’s First Nations Mentoring Program.
 
The ODPP congratulates Mr Beaufils and Mr Wone on their roles in this historic prosecution for the Office and for NSW.