JUSTICE system leaders gathered at Evelyn Park in Frankston on Tuesday for a National Reconciliation Week lunch, held under the 2026 theme of ‘All In’ – a call for collective commitment to transformational change.
The event brought together community members and organisations working within the justice system to demonstrate their commitment to reconciliation.
It was jointly hosted by three organisations at the heart of that work: Peninsula Community Legal Centre (PCLC), which provides free legal services to people in Melbourne’s south-east; the Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee (RAJAC), which advocates for improved justice outcomes for Aboriginal communities across Victoria; and Victorian Legal Aid (VLA), a government-funded service offering free legal information to Victorians.
At a time when Victoria’s tough-on-crime policies are poised to disproportionately affect Aboriginal youth, the gathering provided an opportunity for open dialogue about the impacts of past and current approaches and the importance of culturally informed responses.
Nerita Waight, CEO of Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) – a holistic, trauma-informed legal service supporting Aboriginal people across criminal, family and civil law – said the criminal legal system continued to cause significant harm to Aboriginal people.
“The legal sector must grapple with how to create a more just justice system for First Nations people. This requires Aboriginal-led, self-determined justice solutions. This cannot be led by mainstream,” Waight said.
“‘All In’ for me imbues a commitment to reprioritisation of mainstream legal funding to Aboriginal Legal Services as per Dr Mundy’s NLAP review, and in line with Priority Reform Two of Closing the Gap. ‘All In’ is a collective agreement to do better through transformational change, one that the legal sector, alongside government, must be held accountable for.”
PCLC CEO Jackie Galloway said her organisation was listening, learning and role-modelling best practice in the wider legal community.
“For us, reconciliation is more than a day or a policy document,” Galloway said. “Our Reconciliation Action Plan has led to a binding commitment to deliberate, accountable action, such as culturally safe legal services that support self-determination and are always informed by partnerships with community – like the ones gathered here.”
The event, supported by Frankston City Council, marks the lead-up to National Reconciliation Week (NRW), held from 27 May to 3 June annually.
First published in the Frankston Times – 26 May 2026