Access to justice – structural violence and a community call to rethink knowledge and ways of working

Between 2020 and 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Melbourne, Australia was known as the most locked-down city in the world. Communities experienced rolling and extended lockdowns differently, impacting access to various resources, including access to justice . This article presents the key findings of a study on the effects of the pandemic on migrant and refugee communities’ ability to access social and legal services in Melbourne which it frames as an issue of access to justice. The research highlighted that COVID-19 magnified existing barriers in the form of structural violence experienced by these communities – including racism, uncertainty, fear, distrust and isolation. The research also demonstrates that the pandemic importantly provided an opportunity to rethink old ways of working by centring community as a justice practice: not delivering services to but working with communities to meet their needs. We argue that collaborative work with communities was key to effective service provision but also a safeguard against structural violence. Through this participatory-collaborative model, the research reveals how structural violence is perpetuated when it decentres community needs and expertise, and how space can be opened up for change.