Queensland judicial officers have participated in a workshop concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the law in Queensland held recently at UQ.
Convenors Professor David Trigger, of the School of Social Sciences, and Michael Williams, Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, said the workshop aimed to share knowledge of Indigenous culture, and how Indigenous people experienced the judicial system.
"The workshop aimed to create mutual respect and understanding," Professor Trigger said.
"And I also like to see this as an important form of engagement between The University of Queensland and the wider community."
"Traditional law and custom across Aboriginal Australia have been changing over time, and it is important for judicial officers to understand these issues in the lives of people in court.
"Working out the relationship between cultural rights and human individual rights is a complex matter, and the workshop included consideration of this issue."
Mr Williams said the workshop showed the commitment of The University of Queensland and the judiciary to acknowledging Indigenous issues in the legal system.
"This is really an example of what can be done out there in the wider community," he said.
The Honourable Justice Roslyn Atkinson was also instrumental in organising the workshop, and said "Nobody at the workshop needs to be told of the importance of mutual understanding between judicial officers and the Indigenous community".
"There are many areas to tackle, and Indigenous over-representation in custody is one of them. There is an obvious need for diversion programs, bail programs, youth justice programs, an understanding of Indigenous customs, language and norms in court, more effective community corrections and also health and education measures," she said.
"As judicial officers, we must understand and share the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for a fair justice system which recognises and respects each of them. It is only through such mutual respect that we will all be able to truly say that we have a justice system that belongs to all of us."
The workshop brought together speakers with extensive knowledge and experience of Indigenous issues in Queensland, allowing participants to talk with presenters and visitors from a number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to gain an understanding of how Indigenous people view the legal system.
The Hon. Justice Atkinson said the workshop had gone "very well", and included sessions highlighting the importance of the Murri Court, where Aboriginal Elders participated in the Magistrates Court, work by community justice groups and community based groups such as the Oxfam Gulf Region Health Service, and the need for interpreters for traditional Indigenous languages.
Mr Williams said the workshop reinforced UQ’s policy of Education Principles on Indigenous Australian Matters, and that it would also "strengthen long-term friendships and relationships".
"The workshop draws on skill sets. Professional networks and relationships form from this, mobilising the influence of better outcomes for everyone," he said.
Media: Michael Williams (07 3365 6699), David Trigger (07 3365 3170), or Amanda Sproule from UQ Communications (07 3365 2339).
