About us

As Australian lawyers, our goal is to promote peace and non-violence while challenging the status quo around war and armed conflict. Lawyers For Peace aims to raise awareness in the community and advocate against inappropriate use of force as a means of resolving disputes. We strongly believe that all human beings are born free and equal and that as lawyers we are in a powerful position to be a force for good.

To this end, the Association will:

• Educate lawyers and legal professionals, young Australians, the government and Australian public about the consequences of war and its preparation, including weapons of mass destruction
• Be a voice of opposition and scrutiny to public rhetoric that promotes and glorifies war and acts of violence
• Examine the social and cultural norms by which war is accepted as a necessity
• Challenge Australia's support of our international allies' decisions to engage in conflict
• Acknowledge and scrutinise Australia's history of warfare, including within its own territory against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as a means of challenging Australia current social and cultural acceptance of war
• Work for the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons
• Promote non-violent means of resolving conflict in Australia and in the international sphere, through compliance with domestic and international law
• Acknowledge that resource scarcity and climate change are likely to be reasons for war being accepted as a necessity
• Urge that the excessive financial, technical and human resources spent on armaments be directed to other uses that promote the wellbeing of humanity
• Promote, cooperate and form partnerships or links with organisations within Australia which might further the purpose of the organisation
• Challenge Australia's contribution to global militarisation through decisions about our defence capabilities and defence forces presence