Friday, 13 March 2026
Description
Attend and earn 1 CPD unit in Substantive Law
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
A Review of the National Redress Scheme and What Lies Beyond
The National Redress Scheme is due to wrap up on 30 June 2028, with applications needing to be lodged by 30 June 2027. As the end rapidly approaches, examine what the end of the Scheme looks like and what needs to be done to end it well for the thousands of victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse who have chosen to pursue redress as part of their justice and healing journey.
- The operation of the Scheme since its inception
- Independent reviews of the Scheme, key findings and reforms
- Ongoing challenges for survivors seeking redress through the Scheme
- What the end means for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, including for future generations of survivors
Presented by Rachel Neil, Executive Director - Integrated Services, Knowmore and Sean Bowes, Manager of Advocacy and Law Reform, Knowmore
Chair
Hayley Aldrich, Partner, Carrol & O'Dea Lawyers
Presenters
Rachel Neil, Executive Director - Integrated Services, Knowmore Legal Service
Rachel Neil is the Executive Director - Integrated Services at Knowmore Legal Service, based in the Brisbane office. Knowmore is a free, national community legal service providing assistance and referrals to survivors of child sexual abuse. Rachel has worked at Knowmore since 2019 and has worked in the community legal sector for many years in various roles. She has spent her legal career committed to helping vulnerable people to access their rights within a strong framework of trauma informed practice.
Sean Bowes, Manager of Advocacy and Law Reform, Knowmore
Sean Bowes is the Manager, Advocacy and Law Reform at Knowmore Legal Service, leading Knowmore’s advocacy for redress, justice and healing for victims and survivors of child abuse. This advocacy is informed by the insights of Knowmore’s nation-wide, multidisciplinary team, which includes lawyers, social workers and counsellors, financial counsellors and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement advisors. Sean has worked at Knowmore since 2022 and is based in the Sydney office on Gadigal land. Sean has previously worked at community legal centres and in government legal practice.
Hayley Aldrich, Partner, Carroll & O'Dea Lawyers
Hayley is a passionate lawyer with experience in litigation and compensation law. She has developed a practice with significant focus on representing and securing access to justice for members of the Stolen Generations, and others who have suffered as a result of sexual, physical and emotional/mental abuse as children. She is one of the most respected experts in this field, in part due to her dedication in developing and running a trauma informed practice. For Hayley, this work truly makes a difference to people, and goes beyond individual clients receiving compensation. As part of the settlement process, abuse victims receive a personal apology from the defendant institution or department, which means a lot to them. Hayley’s practice also includes acting for people in a range of personal injury matters, general litigation and international torts. She regularly appears in the District Court of NSW, the Supreme Court of NSW and the Personal Injury Commission. She has provided advice to clients in the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) appeals, SafeWork NSW Investigations, Victims Compensation applications for the Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme, applications for the National Redress Scheme, Applications in the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), applications in various states Civil and Administrative Tribunals, Coronial proceedings, and to witnesses appearing at the NSW Parliament General Purpose Standing Committee’s Injury into Stolen Generations Reparations, and the witnesses appearing at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses of Child Sexual Abuse.
