The Children in Detention Advocacy Project (CIDnAP) challenges the unlawful and unnecessary detention of young people.

It is a partnership between PIAC and Legal Aid NSW. The project provides pro bono or legal aid representation to minors on cases of false arrest, unlawful detention, malicious prosecution and/or the use of excessive force by police, transit authorities and private security companies. CIDnAP also:

• works towards resolving systemic problems identified in the policing and court processes that lead to unnecessary arrests.

CIDnAP cases 

Examples of the types of cases CIDnAP assists with include:

• proceedings on behalf of a young person who was arrested and detained on the basis of a warrant that was later found to have been withdrawn. He spent three weeks in custody without any lawful basis. The terms of the settlement are confidential
• legal advice to an Aboriginal young person who was wrongfully detained because police believed he was in breach of bail conditions that in fact had been dispensed with
• a successful claim on behalf of a client against RailCorp NSW and five transit officers for false imprisonment, assault and battery. PIAC’s client alleged that the transit officers had overstepped their powers and detained her against her will as well as assaulted her. The terms of the settlement are confidential.