Baby Asha’s family allowed to speak with lawyers for first time in three days

Following the Human Rights Law Centre's public statement earlier this afternoon that its legal team had been prevented from speaking with the clients for the last three days, the government agreed to allow Baby Asha’s mother to speak to her lawyer, Daniel Webb, by phone early this evening.

Mr Webb, the HRLC's Director of Legal Advocacy, said the client had confirmed she had been asking to speak with him but had been prevented from doing so.

"It’s been an emotional few days for the family. They are relieved and thankful that they aren’t languishing on Nauru or locked up in a detention centre.

"It’s not ok that the government has prevented us from speaking with our client for the last three days. She had been asking to speak with us and we had been asking to speak with her but Border Force was blocking access.

“It’s a matter of basic fairness and due process that vulnerable people are able to speak with their lawyers. We hope the government respects these principles in the future," said Mr Webb. 

The statement the HRLC released earlier this afternoon:

"Today, for the third day running, we have been denied access to our client.

It’s a matter of basic fairness and due process that vulnerable people are able to speak with their lawyers, especially when they are involved in a case in the highest court in the country."

Daniel Webb, Director of Legal Advocacy, Human Rights Law Centre.