Canberra woman to receive $100k settlement over illegal strip search

The ACT government has agreed to pay a Canberra woman $100,000 after her human rights were breached during an illegal strip search at Canberra's jail.

Aboriginal woman Julianne Williams sued the territory in July over her treatment while she was detained at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) in 2021.

During a civil case against the ACT government last year, the ACT Supreme Court found she was subjected to an attempted strip search in her room, and a strip search in the toilet, and both had breached the Human Rights Act.

The use of force by officers was also incompatible with Ms Williams's human right to humane and appropriate treatment, Justice Verity McWilliam said in her decision late last year.

The lead-up to the strip search was captured on the prison's CCTV and guards' body-worn camera footage.

The footage showed Ms Williams in a state of distress after learning that the prison had refused to let her attend her grandmother's funeral.

At the time, Ms Williams did not seek compensation from the territory, but the ABC this week reported that she had lodged fresh proceedings in the Federal Court after her application for an act of grace from the ACT government stalled.

Her statement of claim showed she was seeking compensatory damages intended to act to both rectify the pain caused and deter the territory from similar behaviour in the future.

Court orders seen by the ABC show the government settled the matter with Ms Williams on Thursday, agreeing to pay her $100,000 plus costs as assessed between the parties.

The ACT government said act of grace applications were assessed on their merits in accordance with legal frameworks, and did not comment on individual decisions.

ACT Corrective Services said the AMC had removed mandatory strip searches from its procedures in 2022, and introduced body scanners in 2023.

Commissioner Leanne Close told ABC Radio Canberra that before body scanners, more than 4,000 strip searches were conducted at the AMC in the years 2020 and 2021.

"After the introduction, in 2024, we've reduced that down to 580 strip searches," Ms Close said.

But she said it would not reduce the need for strip searches entirely, in the event of anomalies, weapons or illicit drugs being detected.

ACT Corrective Services said it was also introducing an additional body scanner at the Court Transport Unit.

"We've also strengthened staff training, guidance and oversight to support consistent, human-rights-based decision-making in a complex custodial environment," a spokesperson said.