Review into over-representation of First Nations people in the ACT justice system
Summary
The Jumbunna Institute (Jumbunna) at the University of Technology Sydney wrote a report on the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT criminal justice system. This is the final of two reports as part of a review.
To write the final report, Jumbunna worked with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and organisations. They also worked with non-Aboriginal organisations with First Nations programs and staff.
The review examines the causes of over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT criminal justice system. The Final Report makes 99 recommendations to reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT criminal justice system.
The Jumbunna Institute held a webinar to outline the findings of the Final Report. You can watch the webinar recording on YouTube.
ACT Government response and updates
The ACT Government published an interim response to the report on 25 September 2025. The response committed to establishing First Nations-led governance arrangements as a priority response.
The ACT Government gave an update to the Legislative Assembly on 25 March 2026. They announced that the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body will work with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, working in the justice sector, and ACT Government directorates to develop an implementation plan. The plan will consider how to sequence and prioritise work to deliver on the recommendations and ongoing governance for First Nations justice issues.
Details on the governance arrangements and updates on significant work underway are in the March 2026 update given by the Attorney-General to the Legislative Assembly [PDF 235 KB].
Download
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Update to the Legislative Assembly March 2026 - The over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people inhe ACT criminal justice system [PDF 235 KB ]
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ACT Government Interim Response - Final Report - Independent Review into the Over-Representation of First Nations people in the ACT Criminal Justice System [PDF 319 KB]
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Final Report - Independent Review into the Over-Representation of First Nations People in the ACT Criminal Justice System [PDF 11.1 MB]
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User Guide for the Final Report - Independent Review into the Over-Representation of First Nations People in the ACT Criminal Justice System [PDF 4.3 MB]
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Webinar slides - Jumbunna Institute's Final Report: Strategies and Recommendations for Reducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Over-Representation in the ACT Criminal Justice System [PDF 823 KB]
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First Report - Independent Review into the Over-Representation of First Nations People in the ACT Criminal Justice System [PDF 1.8 MB]
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Community Guide for First Report - Independent Review into the Over-Representation of First Nations People in the ACT Criminal Justice System [PDF 257 kB]