Justice Policy Partnership
Establishment and Purpose
The Justice Policy Partnership was established in 2021 as the first of 5 formal policy partnerships established under Priority Reform One - Formal Partnerships and Shared Decision-Making - of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap (National Agreement).
Focused on providing a national joined up approach to improving Outcomes 10 (Adults are not overrepresented in the criminal justice system) and 11 (Young people are not overrepresented in the criminal justice system) of the National Agreement, the Justice Policy Partnership is co-chaired by the Attorney-General’s Department and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Legal Services.
The Justice Policy Partnership has members representing Australian government, state and territory governments, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice experts. This includes:
- 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members – 5 from Coalition of Peaks organisations and 5 independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice experts, selected by the Coalition of Peaks in an open and transparent expression of interest process.
- 9 government members – 1 from the Australian Government and 1 from each state and territory government (at the senior official level).
The Justice Policy Partnership’s Terms of Reference set out the scope and purpose of the partnership as well as the roles and responsibilities of members.
Read a copy of the Terms of Reference
The Justice Policy Partnership meets 4 times throughout the year.
Most recently, the Justice Policy Partnership has been building on the strong foundations set in its establishment phase and is now focusing on the implementation of its Strategic Framework, which was agreed-in-principle by Joint Council on Closing the Gap in June 2023.
The Australian Government has provided $18.3 million of funding from 2021-22 to 2027-28 to establish and operate the Justice Policy Partnership, including for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Legal Services to participate as co-chair and for sitting fees and travel costs for non-government members.
Strategic Framework
The Strategic Framework guides the actions of the Justice Policy Partnership to 2030 and includes a strategic focus on the following Goals:
- Transforming justice systems so that they work for, and not against, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, by eliminating racism, embedding self-determination, ensuring policies and programs are culturally appropriate and designed in partnership with communities in a strengths-based way
- Establishing formal partnerships at all levels to share-decision making and ensure strong accountability over implementation of the justice targets and priority reforms
- Building a strong, effective and sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled law and justice sector which is appropriately resourced to deliver culturally appropriate and holistic services which meet the needs and priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; and
- Delivering holistic, integrated and inclusive systems which meet the diverse needs, priorities and wellbeing of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
Read a copy of the Strategic Framework
Implementation Roadmap
The Justice Policy Partnership has been developing an Implementation Roadmap which sets out the key elements required to enable the Justice Policy Partnership to implement its Strategic Framework. The Justice Policy Partnership will do this by delivering ambitious, holistic and long-lasting structural actions to reduce rates of adult and youth incarceration and embed the Closing the Gap Priority Reforms across the law and justice systems.
The Implementation Roadmap has been developed through extensive collaboration and consultation with the Justice Policy Partnership members, and is intended to serve as a comprehensive blueprint for advancing key objectives outlined in the Strategic Framework, with a focus on the 2024-25 period.
A copy of the 2024-25 Implementation Roadmap will be made available on this website once finalised.
Key documents
Past documents
The Justice Policy Partnership seeks to ensure that previously completed work remains accessible to the public. Please see the below links to documents and resources the Justice Policy Partnership has formerly published to the website:
Justice Policy Partnership Work Plan 2021-2022
Agreement to Implement the Justice Policy Partnership
(replaced by the Terms of Reference)
Media enquiries
For media enquiries concerning the Justice Policy Partnership contact our Media team.
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of Australia and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.
Contact details
Contact the Justice Policy Partnership Secretariat at jpp@ag.gov.au.