Aboriginal Community Police Officer Racial Discrimination and Vilification Class Action Investigation
Gordon Legal is investigating reports of racial discrimination and racism against Aboriginal Community Police Officers (ACPO) by the Northern Territory Police Force.
The investigation covers racism and discrimination directed at ACPOs and directed at an indigenous person or persons in the presence of ACPOs, as well as discrimination against ACPOs in their employment conditions. Following the termination of a representative complaint filed in the Australian Human Rights Commission on the basis that there was no reasonable prospect of conciliation succeeding, Gordon Legal and the representative applicants are considering filing a claim in the Federal Court of Australia.
To register your interest the investigation and to receive updates about the investigation and potential court proceedings, register via the form below.
What does registering do?
By registering you will receive updates about the ACPO class action investigation from Gordon Legal as our investigation moves along.
Registering doesn’t mean you need to do anything – it doesn’t tie you into anything or place any obligations on you – it just lets us gather information about the people who have been affected.
Your responses are confidential and will not be provided to the Northern Territory Police Force or the Northern Territory Government, or any other person, without your consent.
Please answer the few questions below to register and stay updated on the progress of our investigation.
Register for Updates
FAQs
Is this investigation related to the complaint in the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)?
Yes. A representative complaint was lodged in the AHRC on behalf of ACPOs by another law firm in relation to racial discrimination and vilification by the Northern Territory Police Force (NTPF) in September 2024. The complaint related to a wide range of conduct by NTPF officers and its impact on ACPOs, including the use of racist language by NTPF officers and racially discriminatory practices directed at ACPOs and the indigenous community.
The AHRC complaint has now been terminated. The termination of the complaint creates the possibility of proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia in relation to the content of the complaint. Gordon Legal and the representative applicants in the AHRC complaint are considering this possibility as part of the investigation.
What does it mean that the AHRC complaint was terminated?
When an AHRC complaint is terminated, it doesn’t mean the complaint failed or was rejected – it just means that the AHRC complaint process is finished, usually because the matter couldn’t be resolved with the AHRC.
The steps involved in bringing proceedings such as this to the Federal Court of Australia require that a complaint is made to the AHRC and the complaint is terminated before an application can be started with the Federal Court. It is an expected part of the process when investigating matters like this regarding human rights.
Why are employment conditions of ACPOs part of the investigation?
Pressure on ACPOs to perform duties outside the scope of their role without receiving appropriate training and pay (remuneration) was part of the complaint before the AHRC. This is part of the Gordon Legal investigation and may form part of any claim made in a future class action.
Has a class action commenced?
No. Gordon Legal is currently investigating the possibility of a class action. Register via above form to receive updates about the investigation and any future actions we take.