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Dr Ebony Birchall is a Senior Lecturer at Macquarie University Law School and Deputy Director of the BHR Access to Justice Lab. She is a leading expert in strategic litigation and non-litigation mechanisms to promote access to justice.

Dr Birchall has received multiple awards and grants for her research, and has presented at United Nations events, international training programs for lawyers, and regional dialogues with diverse stakeholder groups. At Macquarie, she directs the Strategic Litigation Clinic, where students design test cases on pressing social justice issues in collaboration with leading Australian litigators.

Before joining academia, Dr Birchall practised law for over a decade. Her litigation practice was at the forefront of Australian strategic human rights litigation. Notable cases included the landmark Manus Island Class Action, the Immigration Data Breach Representative Complaint on behalf of 10,000 people from refugee backgrounds, and the Strip Search Class Action against NSW Police.

While her work is now based at a university, she continues to act on behalf of communities impacted by human rights abuses and advises non-profits and human rights defenders on issues concerning access to justice.