2024 National Indigenous Legal Conference
Speech delivered by Law Council of Australia President, Mr Greg McIntyre SC, at the 2024 National Indigenous Law Conference in Melbourne (Naarm), 4 December 2024.
"Good morning everyone. Since UNESCO declared 2019 to be the year of Indigenous languages and followed that up by making this the decade of Indigenous languages it has been my practice to acknowledge the traditional custodians in the Noongar language, the language of my hometown Boorloo, which is of course Perth. These words were taught to me by Emeritus Professor Len Collard, A Whadjuk Noongar traditional owner:
Kaia
Nyuny Kaditj Ngulluck Nyinniny
Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Bunurong Boon Wurrung Kulini Boodja
Nguny burruniny quop kaditj kanya
Nitja baarl birrdiya baarl boodjah
Koora yeye Borrrdahwan
Kaia
I thank Tarwirri for organising the 2024 National Indigenous Legal Conference and giving me the opportunity to be a part of this important event.
Today I want to talk about how the law—and in particular Australia’s foundational law, the Constitution—has impacted First Nations peoples. I will explore our legal history since colonisation and some of the major achievements in the fight for First Nations rights and recognition—which, while including individually big wins, have in not brought an end to the struggle. I would also like to talk with you about the role that improved civics education can play in ensuring all Australians understand our history.
Many of you will know that the Law Council’s Indigenous Legal Issues Committee is chaired by eminent First Nations barrister Tony McAvoy SC and comprises multiple leading First Nations thinkers amongst the legal profession, including Professor Megan Davis, who co-chaired with me the Law Council’s Voice Referendum Working Group. One of the key takeaways relayed to us by this Committee about the Voice Referendum debate last year was there is a lack of understanding by Australians about our history and our Constitution. In particular, there has been a failure to understand the experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and a significant misunderstanding of the role that the Constitution has had in that experience.
Although commonly stated during the Voice debate, it is a complete misconception that the Constitution has treated all Australians equally or fairly.
I don’t have to tell you that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been subject to colonisation, dispossession, discrimination, marginalisation, and significant breaches of human rights across multiple areas, historically and in contemporary Australia, not least in the confronting truths of stolen generations and stolen wages, the lack of protection of cultural heritage and land rights and in the treatment of persons in contact with the criminal justice and child protection systems.
These policies and practices continue to have an impact today and the road to equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia is proving to be a long one."
Read the full speech below.
Last Updated on 09/12/2024