Aboriginal woman files Federal Court claim over illegal 2021 jail strip-search

Julianne Williams, an Aboriginal former inmate, has initiated a fresh Federal Court claim for compensatory damages after a judge concluded her 2021 strip-search at Canberra’s Alexander Maconochie Centre breached the Human Rights Act. The incident followed her relocation to a Crisis Support Unit when prison officials refused her request to attend her grandmother’s funeral, leading to an attempted strip-search in her room and a subsequent search in the toilet.

Justice Verity McWilliam found the searches and the force applied by officers incompatible with her right to humane treatment. Williams initially pursued an ex-gratia payment from the ACT treasurer, but correspondence shows that effort stalled, prompting the new lawsuit. Her lawyer, Sam Tierney, says the case highlights a serious abuse of rights and aims to both redress the trauma and deter future violations.

The ACT government notes that act-of-grace applications are assessed on merit and has not commented on the specific claim. The matter will be heard again in court this month, drawing attention to broader calls to end invasive prison strip-searches across Australia.