Julian Burnside AO QC is a barrister and refugee advocate who has acted in some of the highest profile legal cases in Australian history, from the cash for comment inquiry to the waterfront dispute to the Tampa affair.
For the past 16 years Julian has tirelessly spoken out about Australia's cruel immigration policies and has acted pro bono for refugees and people seeking asylum. He received the 2014 Sydney Peace Prize for "his brave and principled advocacy for human rights and for those wronged by government [and] for insisting that we respect our international legal obligations toward those seeking asylum".
I got to go to Julian's (freaking amazing) house and talk to him at length about the state of refugee rights in Australia today, why he's never run for office himself, how the MUA case changed the way he looked at governments, the arts, justice and evil.
Comedy For Good - A Benefit for Refugee Legal is happening tomorrow night in Melbourne
Problematic is coming to Edinburgh Fringe 2017
It's Refugee Week! refugeeweek.org.au
Julian's TedX Talk: What is fair and what is just?
Julian's speech upon receiving the Sydney Peace Prize
Article: True Leaders - Julian Burnside, barrister and refugee advocate
Julian's writing for Guardian Australia
Julian's piece for The Conversation: What sort of country are we?
Article: How you can offer your home to a refugee
Cause of the Week: The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (asrc.org.au)