The pandemic has seen a raft of health orders, restrictions and emergency powers.

While some changes are required to keep us safe during this extraordinary time, NSWCCL is deeply concerned that not all measures have been proportionate or necessary.

The risk of temporary measures becoming permanent, and police power creep, is significant. 

Resources

• Lockdown fact sheet from Redfern Legal Centre covering NSW COVID-19 rules and Police Powers in Greater Sydney as at 20 July '21 
• Australian Government Department of Health COVID-19 page
• National Coronavirus Helpline - call 1800 020 080 for coronavirus information (24 hours a day, seven days a week)
• NSW Government COVID-19 rules
• NSW Health COVID-19 resources - posters, factsheets, graphics
• Law Access NSW - available on 1300 888 529 between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday to help with legal issues including those arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• COVID Policing - if you've been stopped by police and been treated unfairly, you can report the incident
• Australian Women Against Violence Alliance - COVID-19 resources for a range of at-risk and minority communities

Actions and campaigns

• NSWCCL is a partner organisation of the #GameOver campaign by Craig Foster to get those held in offshore detention to safety
• We endorsed the 'Open letter to Australian governments on COVID-19 and the criminal justice system’ 
• We encourage you to sign these petitions:
  • Petition: Stop COVID Aboriginal Deaths in Custody before it's too late from Aboriginal Legal Service NSW
  • Petition to protect people seeking asylum in COVID-19 crisis from Asylum Seeker Resource Centre 

NSWCCL COVID-19 statements and submissions

• Submission: COVID-19 Senate Committee 10 July '20
• NSWCCL concerned about health and safety of persons in custody, COVID-19 12 June '20
• COVIDSafe Bill, Parliament must strengthen protections 13 May '20
• NSWCCL amongst civil society groups calling on NSW Parliament to resume 5 May '20
• The right to protest should not be curtailed - statement re car convoy protesting COVID-19 risks to refugees held in detention  4 May '20
• NSWCCL calls for release of those in alternative places of detention (APOD) 24 April '20
• Privacy and digital COVID-19 contact tracing 20 April '20
• Resources for those in mandatory COVID-19 quarantine 13 April '20
• Statement: Senate establishes Committee to scrutinise responses to COVID -19 crisis 30 March '20
• Media release: Concerns re conditions for citizens held in enforced COVID-19 quarantine in Sydney 2 April '20
• Call for senate committee scrutiny of government responses to COVID-19 6 April '20
• Statement: Mobile device tracking of COVID-19 infected persons 1 April '20
• Statement: COVID-19 and Government oversight - Prolonged Parliamentary Adjournment unacceptable and Dangerous for Democracy 30 March '20
• Asylum Seekers and Refugees must be considered in COVID-19 responses 27 March '20
• Statement: Strong Leadership by NSW Attorney General on parole, steps needed for remand population 27 March '20
• Media statement: NSW emergency legislation COVID-19 24 March '20
• Reducing the risk of COVID-19: reducing the number of people in custody 24 March '20