Building Connections: Justice and Belonging

A community legal education series designed to strengthen cross-cultural understanding and improve access to justice across Canberra.
About this Event

Justice and Belonging: Supporting Newly Arrived Communities

Legal Aid ACT presents ‘Building Connections’, a community legal education series designed to strengthen cross-cultural understanding and improve access to justice across the diverse communities in Canberra.

This session focuses on the experiences, legal needs, and systemic barriers faced by new arrived migrants and refugees. It will explore how legal and support services can respond more emphatically and effectively to people navigating settlement, safety, and finding stability in a new country particularly for those experiencing intersecting vulnerabilities.

Panel highlights include:

• Insights into current migration and settlement trends in Canberra including emerging vulnerability patterns
• A family violence and intersectional justice lens
• Frontline legal practice insights reflecting on client experiences, common challenges, and effective engagement strategies when working with newly arrived communities
• Cross-sector conversation on barriers, gaps and how we can better collaborate to support newly arrived communities

Panel members:

• Zakia Patel, Executive Director at the Multicultural Hub Canberra & Queanbeyan
• Dr Tulika Saxena PHD, Director, Prevention of Violence and DV Responses YWCA
• Jessica Liao lawyer within the Migration Clinic of Legal Aid ACT

The panel will be facilitated by Fatima Frotan, Cultural Liaison and Policy Officer within the Community Liaison Unit of Legal Aid ACT.

This session is ideal for lawyers, community workers, and service providers seeking to deepen their understanding of access to justice issues affecting newly arrived migrants and refugees to Canberra.

Date: 12 August 2026

Time: 2 to 4pm

Location: In person only at Legal Aid ACT, 2 Allsop Street Canberra

CPD Points Available:

2 Points in Core Area 3