2023 Young Alumna of the Year: Sophie Trevitt

The late Sophie Trevitt (JD ’16, MLLP ’19), joint-recipient of the ANU Young Alumna of the Year, is remembered for her tireless advocacy for social justice, particularly in fighting for the rights of incarcerated Indigenous children.

 

Sophie Trevitt was a solicitor and advocate for social justice, who brought her fierce intelligence to fight for climate action and the rights of incarcerated Indigenous children. Sophie passed away on 27 July 2023 at the age of 32.

 

Sophie served as the Executive Director of Change the Record, Australia's only national Aboriginal led justice coalition of Aboriginal peak bodies and non-Indigenous allies. Her work in this role highlighted the criminal justice system's disproportionate impact on First Nations children and led a campaign to raise the age of criminal responsibility.

 

Before joining Change the Record, Sophie held senior advisory roles with Federal and ACT politicians, coordinated dozens of national and local social justice campaigns, and worked as a community lawyer. Her work in Alice Springs managing the youth, police and prison accountability civil practice for the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency and represented children suffering abuse in the Alice Springs Youth Detention Centre and the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre in Darwin.

 

Even while battling cancer, Sophie never relented in her mission to reform Australia’s justice system. Her work led to significant policy changes throughout Australia, including raising the age of criminal responsibility in the ACT and NT, and the Australian Federal Police’s investigation into ‘spit hoods’ being used on minors in custody, resulting in their operational banning in April 2023.
 

“Sophie loved life and she loved the world, and she wanted to make it better for people, and she dedicated all of the energy that she had to doing that.”