Queensland First Nations child removal class action discontinued

A landmark class action lawsuit against the Queensland government regarding the removal of First Nations children has been discontinued in the Federal Court. The legal action, which was launched in 2023, alleged that the state’s child safety department discriminated against Indigenous families by failing to reunite them and neglecting to support children’s connections to their culture, language, and Country.

The case was halted due to a sudden loss of litigation funding. The original funder, UK-based Therium Litigation Finance Atlas, terminated its support in September 2025, and lawyers were unable to secure new funding. While the discontinuation has caused significant outrage among affected families, Judge Craig Dowling noted in court orders that group members are not prevented from launching fresh legal proceedings.

In related news, Aboriginal organisations in Victoria are calling for a Coroner’s investigation into the death of 21-year-old Jayda Lou-Eve Allen Bonner, while a $1 million bequest has been made to Charles Darwin University to fund scholarships for remote First Nations medical students.