ACC Australia, as the sole in-house lawyer association in Australia, seeks to be inclusive for our members from all backgrounds and identities. We support the Voice, because it is a demonstration of inclusiveness, as well as advancing diversity and equity within the legal profession and the law. The Voice will be a major step towards achieving justice and equity for all Australians and the time has come to give our First Nations people a permanent voice to advise on policies affecting their lives.
This is an important step in the right direction and we acknowledge that the employers of many of our members, and many of the law firms we work with are also in support of the Voice, as are the Law Council of Australia, the Law Society of New South Wales, the Law Society of Queensland, the ACT Law Society, the Law Society of South Australia, the Law Society of Western Australia and the Law Institute of Victoria.
We encourage our members to actively support the Voice and take up this important role to help foster understanding and promotion of justice for all Australians, regardless of our background or heritage.
We understand and respect dissenting opinions and encourage all members to educate themselves about the Voice prior to 14 October 2023. Below is a list of resources that may be of assistance in doing so and to which they can refer their clients with questions.
For more information about the Voice, go to:
- The Voice
- https://ulurustatement.org/the-voice/what-is-the-voice/
- https://ulurustatement.org/the-voice/faqs/
- Law Council of Australia Guide for Legal Practitioners and Fact Sheets
- Gilbert +Tobin Collection of FAQs and Videos by Professor Anne Twomey, Constitutional Scholar
- Law Society of NSW - Voice FAQS
For more information on how to vote Referendum 2023, go to: Referendum 2023 (aec.gov.au)