The Black Lives Matter movement has exposed the criminal justice system as "a tool of injustice for Indigenous Australians", NSW's most senior judge says.
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Chief Justice Tom Bathurst said the movement "has brought the racism, inequality and abuses of power that have haunted our nation for so long to the forefront of public consciousness".
"This year marks 250 years since Captain Cook first landed in Australia," he said on Tuesday at a welcoming ceremony for lawyers freshly admitted to the profession.
"Despite this significant passage of time, the Black Lives Matter movement has exposed that our criminal justice system remains a tool of injustice for Indigenous Australians, who are one of the most incarcerated people in the world."
Chief Justice Bathurst said BLM and the #MeToo movement presented a challenge to the legal profession to make systemic reforms and ensure justice for all.
He called for change to systemic barriers, inappropriate workplace behaviour and prejudices hindering women and people from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds in the profession.
The chief justice delivered his speech by video on YouTube from the Supreme Court because of coronavirus restrictions.
He quipped that he didn't know what a Vlogger was until last week, "but I guess I am one now".
The "virtual ceremony" reflected the profession's agility in delivering justice outside courtrooms, with dining tables becoming the new bar and family dogs the new courtroom security, he said.
Australian Associated Press
