24 Feb 2016

Australian lawyers call on Govt to resolve Nauru

7:20 am on 24 February 2016
Nauru

Nauru Photo: AFP

Australia's top legal organisation is calling on the Australian government to resolve the position of all the people detained on Nauru.

The Law Council of Australia's comments follow the decision this week, to release an asylum seeker baby into community detention, rather than return her and her family to Nauru.

According to the Council's president, Stuart Clark, while the issue with baby Asha has been temporarily resolved, the other people on Nauru must not be forgotten.

The Australian government can not continue to hold people on Nauru indefinitely he said.

"We say that indefinite detention in circumstances where somebody hasn't committed a crime let alone been convicted of an offense is simply unacceptable, it's contrary to the rule of law, it's contrary to the very character of countries like Australia and New Zealand."

Mr Clark wants the Australian government, regional partners and international agencies should work together.