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2008 Justice Awards


The 2008 Justice Awards were presented on 29 October 2008 at Parliament House, Sydney. The 2008 Law and Justice Address was delivered by The Hon Virginia Bell. A selection of photographs from the 2008 awards is now available.

The winners were:

2008 Justice Medal: the pre-eminent Award for outstanding individual achievement in improving access to justice especially for socially and economically disadvantaged people presented to

  • Ms Jane Sanders
    Director, Shopfront Youth Legal Centre, Darlinghurst, since in opened 15 years ago, helping thousands of young people in need who have benefited from her willingness to be contacted at all hours, at both ends of the day, and to make visits to people living in all kinds of circumstances. Described as a woman who ‘frequently returns from court with more clients than she went in with - who thinks nothing of offering her services on the spot to people in need’.

2008 Aboriginal Justice Award, shared by
  • Ms Ruth Simon de Costa for her advocacy and community legal education role for Aboriginal tenants and tenancy organisations

    • and

  • Mr Norman Laing, provides pro bono legal services supporting young Aboriginal people and their communities and is Deputy CEO, NSW Aboriginal land Council

2008 Pro Bono Partnership Award:
  • the partnership of the Arts Law Centre of Australia and DLA Phillips Fox
    for ongoing legal advice and assistance to Indigenous artists, especially through the Artists in the black project, and including the development of a will kit to help reduce the number of artists dying in teste

2008 Law And Justice Volunteer Award:
  • Mr James Condren
    a young man who, drawing on his personal experience, brings a vital perspective to improving knowledge of how people with an intellectual disability interact with the criminal justice system.

2008 Law Society President’s Award:
  • Ms Bernadette Allas, a multilingual lawyer, whose ability to speak French, Italian, Spanish and Indonesian has been helpful to the Law Society’s Pro Bono Scheme which has referred 10 matters to her for no fee, and in her refugee community work.

2008 Combined Community Legal Centres Group (Cclcg) Award:
  • Mr Eugene Butkowski, a medical scientist and qualified lawyer who volunteers weekly at the Albury Wodonga Legal Service. He provides legal advice and assistance to disadvantaged clients and has also traveled twice to Rwanda for the Operation Open Heart Surgery team.

2008 LIAC Centre of Excellence Award:
  • The Library Service of the Dept of Corrective Services which has introduced LIAC resources to its 36 libraries for inmates, improving access to reliable and understandable information about the law for the 10,000 prisoners in NSW.

    • and

  • Maitland City Library for continuing to develop innovative ways to engage the community about aspects of the law, especially during Law Week 2008.


Congratulations to all of the following nominees who were recognised by the community for their commitment to improving access to justice in NSW. (Winners in bold.)

Justice Medal: sponsored by the Law and Justice Foundation

  • Julie Bishop – formerly of National Association of Community Legal Centres
  • Julie Blyth – Northern Sydney Sexual Assault Service
  • Jennifer Burn – Anti-Slavery Project/UTS
  • Jason Dorsett – Horizon Theatre Company
  • Susan Field – Public Trustee NSW Fellow in Elder Law, UWS
  • David Kendal – YouthZone
  • John Mant – Lawyer
  • Jane Sanders – Shopfront Youth Legal Centre
  • Stan Small – Children’s Court Assistance Scheme
  • Faye Urquhart – Northern Alliance of Park Residents' Association

Aboriginal Justice Award: sponsored by The NSW Attorney General’s Department
  • Neva Collins – Environmental Defenders’ Office
  • Colin Gale – Darug elder
  • Norman Laing
  • Ruth Simon de Costa – Tenancy advocate
  • Marjorie Woodrow – Author and oral historian
  • Members of the Strategy – Something real for Aboriginals
  • Members of the Management Committee – Tirkandi Inaburra Cultural and Development Centre

Law and Justice Volunteer Award: sponsored by the NSW Bar Association
  • James Condren – Board member, NSW Council for Intellectual Disability
  • John Drake – Self-representing litigant
  • Charles Prince – Horizon Theatre Company
  • Judith Stubbs – Housing advocate/advisor

The Law Society President’s Award: sponsored by The Law Society of NSW
  • Bernadette Allas, BMA Lawyers
  • Michael Coorey, C & M Lawyers
  • Vivian Evans, Uther Webster and Evans

Pro Bono Partnership Award: sponsored by the National Pro Bono Resource Centre
  • Corrs Chambers Westgarth & Redfern Legal Centre
  • DLA Philips Fox & Arts Law Centre of Australia
  • Macedone Lawyers & Enough is Enough
  • Mills Oakley Lawyers & The Salvation Army

LIAC Centre of Excellence: sponsored by the State Library of NSW
  • Department of Corrective Services Library & Information Service (DOCLIS)
  • Maitland City Library

The Combined Community Legal Centres Award: sponsored by the Combined Community Legal Centres Group NSW
  • Eugene Butkowski – Albury Wodonga Community Legal Service
  • Glen Northway – North & North West Community Legal Centre
  • Judy Stubbs – Illawarra Legal Centre


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