MEDIA RELEASE: Yoorrook Justice Commission Resumes Public Hearings in Melbourne

The Yoorrook Justice Commission will hold its second block of public hearings from 20 May to 27 May 2022 at Charcoal Lane Fitzroy.

Wurrek tyerrang is a Wergaia word for ‘speaking together’ and has been adopted by Yoorrook as the term for public hearings.

Week 1 of Block 2 (Friday 20 May) will hear from Taungurung Elder Uncle Larry Walsh, with the support of his daughter Isobel Morphy-Walsh, who are expected to speak to issues
including:

• The myriad impacts of forced child removal on individuals and the wider community
  including the link between Stolen Generations, institutionalisation, and deaths in
  custody
• The intersection of the criminal justice system, policing, and community connection
• The Commissioners sitting at the wurrek tyerrang are:
  Professor Eleanor Bourke AM, Chair
  Ms Sue-Anne Hunter, Deputy Chair
  Distinguished Professor Maggie Walter, Commissioner
  Professor the Hon Kevin Bell AM QC, Commissioner

Commissioners will be assisted at the wurrek tyerrang by Mr Tony McAvoy SC and Ms Fiona McLeod AO SC, supported by junior counsel Ms Sarala Fitzgerald and Mr Timothy Goodwin.

The wurrek tyerrang will be livestreamed via the Yoorrook website: https://yoorrookjusticecommission.org.au/hearings/. Transcripts of the wurrek tyerrang and the balert keetyarra (witness statements) will be made available on the Yoorrook Justice Commission website following the appearances.

Additional wurrek tyerrang will be held in the second half of 2022.

Witnesses will be invited by Yoorrook to participate in wurrek tyerrang based on their direct experiences and perspectives on matters within Yoorrook’s Letters Patent and preparedness and readiness to engage in truth-telling in a public setting. Broad representation across families, communities, regions, gender and other characteristics will also be taken into account.

Yoorrook’s interim report is due by 30 June 2022 with a final report due by June 2024.

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact Holly Crocket
Email: [email protected]

Click here to access a PDF of our media statement