Sophie Trevitt, a remarkable advocate for social justice, died on 27 July 2023 at the age of 32.
Born into a medical family in Boggabri, New South Wales, Sophie studied arts and law at the University of Sydney and brought her fierce intelligence to campaigns for climate action.
She moved to Canberra in 2013 to work for the Greens, first on an election campaign and then for federal leaders Christine Milne and Richard Di Natale, and as chief of staff for ACT Greens minister, Shane Rattenbury.
While working as a political staffer, she completed her juris doctor at ANU and was admitted to the bar. Sophie then turned to fighting systemic injustice in the criminal justice system, alongside Aboriginal communities in particular, trying to get children out of prison.
Early in her career she spent time in Arnhem Land working with local women to combat domestic violence. Later, as a civil solicitor with the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), Sophie said: “I have never witnessed anything crueller than [when] working as a lawyer for children in prison.”
This experience fired Sophie’s tenacious advocacy for the rights of incarcerated Indigenous children and those at risk of incarceration.
As the executive officer of Change the Record and ACT co-chair of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, Sophie spearheaded the campaign to raise the age of criminal responsibility, from as young as 10 years old – as it had been in every state and territory – to at least 14.
The Northern Territory was the first jurisdiction to raise the age – to 12. Sophie was the first of many to point out that many 12 to 13-year-olds will remain in prison and therefore be exposed to harm. The ACT also announced this year it would raise the age to 14, but not until 2025. Another positive step, but for Sophie, not nearly enough.
Sophie worked on many other issues. She played a pivotal role in advocating for an effective ACT Human Rights Act. Her leadership pushed the ACT government to introduce a complaints mechanism, giving residents meaningful access to the Human Rights Act. She also worked diligently to ban spithoods inside Australian institutions, particularly for minors. And Sophie’s behind-the-scenes work led to ACT legislation to create an exclusion zone around abortion clinics, preventing people from harassing those using or providing abortion services.
Beyond her professional achievements, Sophie was an inspiring leader and mentor. She supported Passing the Message Stick, a message research project, helping train First Nations law and justice advocates in persuasive messaging and communications.
At Change the Record, Sophie led campaigns with a gentle tenacity, which continued even through her battles with cancer. Her commitment to social justice, climate justice and human rights and her constant solidarity with First Nations People, will always be admired.
Sophie Trevitt’s indomitable spirit and deep commitment to equity, fairness, respect, and dignity for all will continue to influence the world she left behind.
Sophie’s work to raise the age of criminal responsibility was awarded the 2020 ACT Youth Coalition award and Liberty Victoria’s 2023 Voltaire award for Human Rights. She downplayed the recognition, claiming she had “not done anything” and was only interested in how it could boost the Raise the Age campaign.
Despite excruciating headaches, Sophie was wrangling press releases and rapid responses to the NT government’s announcement about raising the age – just hours before the admission to hospital that revealed the disease that would end her life.
Even as her aggressive cancer progressed, she wrote in Guardian Australia that her biggest fear was for children in jail:
“At some point society decided that it was not only OK but beneficial to lock up children as young as 10 behind bars. I have spent a long time trying to imagine that moment, imagine closing and opening your eyes and thinking: OK, this is it. This is the way we will restore harmony on our streets. We will put children in cages and adults behind bars.”
Sophie was dedicated, sometimes outrageously so. In a tribute to her, Greens senator Larissa Waters told the Senate that during Paris Cop26, Sophie was unimpressed at the idea of taking even one afternoon off to “see Paris” – after all, there was a planet to fight for.
A moving tribute to Sophie Trevitt in the Australian Senate.@larissawaters, 8:15pm 31 August 2023, adjournment.https://t.co/O15iNA1cMj
— Sophie Trevitt (@SophieTrevitt) July 31, 2023
And yet, Sophie always made time for the people in her life. Those close to her will remember her kindness and concern for others. Alongside her work to change the world, she became a prodigious cook so she could share food with friends. She made art and dispatched it across the country and supported friends through childbirth, illness, heartbreak and bereavement. She had a wicked sense of humour and regularly punctured an earnest moment with her sharp wit and easy smile. And she loved with a fierce heart.
Sophie’s wish was for her story to inspire others to make a difference in the world. She urged us to be kind, brave and to fight for justice and the safety of all people.
Tenacious and concerned for others even in the hardest times, Sophie would have wanted little fuss – except if it could somehow inspire others to make a difference to the world and the people in it.
So: be kind, be brave. Fight for justice. Fight to make people safe. Expect better from those in power. Today and all tomorrows, ask yourself: what would Sophie do?
Sophie is survived by her partner, Tom, her parents Anne and Bruce, her loving brothers Ben, Leigh, Arun and Jethro and a vast community of friends and admirers.
Tom Swann is a climate change strategist and Sophie’s partner, Christine Milne AO is Global Greens Ambassador and former leader of the Australian Greens and Cheryl Axleby and Antoinette Braybrook AM are co-chairs of Change the Record
