Tuesday, 9 December 2025

 Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (13:18): It was recently my absolute pleasure and privilege to attend the Southside Justice sex worker legal program impact report launch. This was just a great day to celebrate the important work of this program, and it was wonderful to be in the room with all the practitioners who have made this program a success, as well as lived experience advocates and, on a personal note, many friends and former colleagues from the commercial pro bono world and the community legal sector who have all contributed to the success of this program. The Southside Justice sex worker legal program is Victoria’s first funded specialist legal service for sex workers. We heard how over the three years of the program’s operation they have delivered 454 legal services to 130 clients, supported of course by strong partnerships with the peer-led and community organisations that make this vital work possible. That work has been across a range of legal advice, representation and advocacy on civil and criminal matters, and it has strengthened the legal framework to protect and uphold sex workers rights. As Mel Dye, CEO of Southside Justice, says:

The rising demand for the Sex Worker Legal Program doesn’t necessarily reflect an increase in legal issues – those have always existed. What we’re seeing is a cultural shift. Sex workers, armed with a deeper understanding … are feeling more confident to come forward and seek justice.

This is a fantastic program. It deserves ongoing support. It has already shown the impact that it is having, and I urge the government to continue to support it.