Evidence Given by Eddie Cubillo to the Yoorrook Justice Commission

This chapter is an abridged version of Eddie Cubillo’s evidence given to the Yoorrook Justice Commission in its public hearings on the criminal justice system. The evidence highlights the need to break the entrenched patterns of government inaction following inquiries into matters affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The authors describe the personal toll of participating in such processes for Indigenous advocates, including racism during their encounters with police and court staff. They call for reform of legal education, a reimagining of the criminal justice system, a concerted effort to shift public understanding of the trauma endured by Indigenous people and most importantly, action on the recommendations of the Yoorrook Justice Commission.