Indigenous Legal Issues Committee
The primary purpose of the Indigenous Legal Issues Committee is to advise the Law Council on key federal and national issues and legal and policy responses that impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and legal practitioners, as well as improving access to justice as it is experienced by these respective cohorts. This includes responding to legal and policy issues on the following areas:
- First Nations constitutional recognition, representation, agreement making and truth-telling, as informed by the Uluru Statement from the Heart;
- native title, land rights and Indigenous Intellectual Cultural Property, heritage, expressions, and knowledge protection;
- human rights, equality, and non-discrimination, including by reference to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other international instruments, treaties, and customary international law;
- access to justice issues and related laws and policies affecting justice outcomes amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons, and in particular, over-representation in incarceration and child protection and removal;
- Indigenous legal education (see also the Law Council’s John Koowarta Reconciliation Law Scholarship); and
- key challenges and opportunities for the legal profession in addressing the representation, retention, and progression of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through its ranks, increasing the cultural respect, understanding and competency of legal practitioners, and showing national leadership across the legal sector in addressing issues national legal or justice issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and First Nations.
Members
The current members of the committee are:
- Tony McAvoy SC (Chair) – New South Wales Bar Association
- Jason Behrendt – Law Society of New South Wales
- Julie Buxton – Victorian Bar
- Christopher Charles – Law Society of South Australia
- Tekan Cochrane – Law Institute of Victoria
- Eddie Cubillo – Expert Member
- Professor Megan Davis AC – Expert Member
- Dr Hannah McGlade – Expert Member
- Greg McIntyre SC – Law Society of Western Australia
- Gemma McKinnon – Expert Member
- Keryn Ruska – Expert Member
- Terry Stedman – Queensland Law Society
- Tamika Williams – Law Society of Northern Territory
- Deborah Kilroy OAM – Special Adviser
Contact
Alan Freckelton
T. 02 6246 3712
E. Alan.Freckelton@lawcouncil.au
John Farrell
T. 02 6246 3714
E. John.Farrell@lawcouncil.au
Last Updated on 30/04/2025
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