The start of a new year is often a time for reflection and hope. However, for some families, the holiday period has brought unimaginable grief.
At O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors, we continue to do what we do best:
standing beside those who have been failed by the institutions meant to protect them, and fighting for accountability when it is denied.
This month, we bring you an important update on a case that underscores the urgent need for systemic change in Australia’s detention facilities.
We Are Representing Family of Kumanjayi Dempsey
Kumanjayi Dempsey, a 44-year-old Aboriginal mother of five, tragically passed away on 27 December 2025, just 24 hours after her arrest on Christmas Day.
Her death marks the fourth Aboriginal death in custody in the Northern Territory in 2025, a devastating indictment of systemic failure, 34 years after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody handed down its recommendations.
Our firm is deeply concerned about the ongoing inadequacy of conditions at Tennant Creek Watch House and Northern Territory detention facilities more broadly.
These concerns are compounded by the NT Government’s recent refusal to allow the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to conduct its scheduled inspection of detention centres, including watch houses, placing Australia in breach of its international human rights obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT).
O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors is representing Kumanjayi’s family as they seek answers and accountability.
Our team has extensive experience pursuing civil actions against the state on behalf of families affected by deaths in custody.
We extend our sincere condolences to Kumanjayi’s family, friends and loved ones and ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
- Nicole Byrne
