Editors --- "Mentions" [2000] AltLawJl 79; (2000) 25(4) Alternative Law Journal 206

• MENTIONS
• PUBLICATIONS
• Mandatory Injustice
• Streetwize Comics
• Spur of the Moment
• Apprenticed to Thrill!
• Survey of pro bono activities of Victorian Barristers
• New Journal

MENTIONS

PUBLICATIONS

Mandatory Injustice

The furore raised over State mandatory sentencing laws for property theft in the Northern Territory and Western Australia in the past few years has raised international criticism of Australia's human rights record. The laws are perceived to have a detrimental effect on the imprisonment of Aboriginal people.

George Zdenkowski and Dianne Johnson have captured the severity of these laws in their report 'Mandatory Injustice: Compulsory Imprisonment in the Northern Territory'. Their report is an in-depth study into the legislation of mandatory sentencing in the Northern Territory, how this legislation operates and why it is unacceptable.

It outlines the inherent impacts of the law including the role of the police, the financial costs as well as the social costs; the continuing challenges to mandatory sentencing including the condemnation of international organisations and a chapter on the role of the 'Aboriginal _{culture' as a tourist attraction for Alice} Springs compared to the stark reality of the treatment directed at Aborigines.

Published by the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ). The report is priced at $38.50 (GST included) plus $3 for postage and packaging for the first item; $1 for each additional item. Please contact the ACIJ for purchases: ACIJ University of Technology, Sydney, PO Box 123, Broadway, Sydney 2007, Australia. Tel [phone]; fax [phone] or email: [e-mail]

Streetwize Comics

Spur of the Moment

A national comic aimed at raising awareness among young people of the issues and consequences of car theft.

Apprenticed to Thrill!

A comic for young people encouraging them to consider a New Apprenticeship when thinking about their career.

Streetwize Comics can be used by school careers advisers, employment agencies and other organisations to pro­ vide information and activities with young people. The comics are free but there is a postage and handling charge.

Contact them on tel [phone].

Survey of pro bono activities of Victorian Barristers

A unique survey carried out by Voluntas, the Victoria Law Foundation's Pro Bono Secretariat has analysed the breadth and type of pro bono work carried out by barristers in Victoria. The findings include:

• 90% of barristers who responded had done pro bono work in the last two years

• the median monthly value of pro bono work done was $1500

• of those barristers who practise criminal or family law, 68% believe in the last three years cuts to legal aid funding have resulted in a large increase in demand for pro bono services

• the overwhelming reason given for doing pro bono work was a sense of personal responsibility, a way to give something back to the community.

Contact: Amanda Roberts tel [phone] or email: aroberts@ viclf.asn.au

New Journal

Balayi:Culture,Law and Colonialism

Editors: Kathryn Trees; Alexander Reilly; Helena Grehan; Vol 1, No 1, January 2000; Published Murdoch University (see Review on p.205 of this is­ sue).

Subscriptions including GST (two issues a year)

Individual: $35 an issue or $65 a year

(students $20/40).

Institution: $50 an issue, or $90 a year.

Overseas:$55 an issue, or $100 a year.

Cheques should be made payable to Balayi and sent to:

Dr Helena Grehan, School of Arts Murdoch University, South Street Murdoch, Western Australia 6150