Andreea Lachsz

Andreea has a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne; a Juris Doctor from the University of Technology Sydney, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Sydney. Andreea is currently a Quentin Bryce Law Doctoral Scholar researching a PhD on the torture and ill-treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in places of detention.

Andreea was previously the Head of Policy, Communications and Strategy at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, and has worked as a criminal defence lawyer and as the Coordinator of Community Legal Education, Training and Projects at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency. She has also worked as the ACT National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) Coordination Director and Detention Monitoring and Policy Advisor at the ACT Inspector of Correctional Services.

She has previously volunteered as a humanitarian observer with the Australian Red Cross Immigration Detention Monitoring Program, conducting visits to facilities in Australia, Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

Andreea was selected as an Impact Funding recipient in 2024. She will collaborate with Australian National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) bodies, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs), and Aboriginal people to develop national, human rights-compliant, and culturally appropriate police custody standards to support future Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) work. While various oversight bodies have created prison standards, there is a critical gap in police custody standards across jurisdictions. This is urgent, as international studies show a higher risk of torture in police custody than in prisons. However, NPM bodies lack resources and sufficient funding. With the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in police custody, consulting with ACCOs is essential for effective torture prevention efforts.