APO Research

Policing substance abuse in Indigenous communities
Matthew Willis Australian Institute of Criminology06 July, 2009 This report is from a workshop held in 2008 that provided a practical overview of law enforcement responses to substance abuse in Indigenous communities.

Bridges and barriers: addressing Indigenous incarceration and health
National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee02 July, 2009 Despite the investment by governments to reduce incarceration, Indigenous Australians have continued to fill our correction systems at alarmingly disproportionate rates, making up almost one quarter of Australian’s prison population and over half of Indigenous juveniles in corrective institutions.

Indigenous education and social policy development in NSW
Tessa Keenan Nura Gili Indigenous Programs09 July, 2009 This paper discusses the historical context of the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and the NSW Aboriginal Education Policy, and emphasises the need for culturally inclusive policies with relevant policy implementation strategies.

Overcoming Indigenous disadvantage: key indicators 2009
Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision Productivity Commission06 July, 2009 Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage 2009 is the fourth report in a series commissioned by heads of Australian governments in 2002, to provide regular reporting against key indicators of Indigenous disadvantage.

Beyond guarding ground - the case for a national Indigenous cultural authority
Terri Janke Australia Council for the Arts06 July, 2009 Over the past 20 years Indigenous Australians have called for greater recognition of Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights.

Indigenous Population Projections, 2006-31
Nicholas Biddle, John Taylor Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research08 July, 2009 This paper models the national and regional population impacts of a continuation of existing mortality and fertility regimes compared to a situation where these converge. The effects of inter-regional migration are also considered.

Opinion : Slurring laws will criminalise Aborigines, not stop crime

Slurring laws will criminalise Aborigines, not stop crime
New laws give police the power to move on people who are slurring their words, cementing a tradition of criminalising Aboriginal people.Law & Liberties - Thalia Anthony - posted 18/5/2009

ABC Radio National's The Law Report

Broadcast: 8.30am on Tuesday 10 Febuary 2009 Also Available for Download on your Ipod at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lawreport/default.htm

This week: Meet two extraordinary indigenous activists.

Vickie Roach has been nicknamed the Eddie Mabo of electoral law.

While in jail she fought a High Court case that overturned an attempt to remove the vote from all serving prisoners.

Also Stephen Hagan. It's 10 years since he began a legal battle to remove a sign he regards as racist from the Toowoomba Sports Ground.

The sign’s come down but he still has to foot the legal bills.

Indigenous intervention, doing good and racism

The High Court has just handed down its decision on the constitutionality of the legislation enabling the Northern Territory intervention: Wurridjal v Commonwealth of Australia [2009] HCA 2. A majority of the Court ruled that the legislation was constitutional, with Kirby J delivering a last (and controversial) dissent. It is a fascinating decision, involving the question of whether the Commonwealth has acquired property by reason of the Northern Territory intervention, and, if so, whether it has done so under “just terms” as required by s 51(xxxi) of the Constitution. [The short answer, for those who can't be bothered reading through the entire post, is that the majority of the Court concluded that property was acquired by the Commonwealth as a result of the intervention, but that the terms were just.]

Still riding for freedom 40 years later

Gaps in our legal system around human rights protection continue to have a real and devastating effect on the life chances for Aboriginal people in Australia more than 40 years after Aboriginal leader Charlie Perkins first undertook the freedom ride, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma said tonight while delivering the 2008 Dr Charles Perkins Memorial Oration at the University of Sydney.

Commissioner Calma said the current federal government’s commitment to working in partnerships with Indigenous peoples rather than treating them as ‘passive recipients’ made the next few years critical in the struggle for equality.

Reintegration of Indigenous prisoners

Matthew Willis and John-Patrick Moore / Australian Institute of Criminology
From an analysis of data on released male prisoners and interviews with prisoners, ex-prisoners and stakeholders, this report provides a comprehensive overview of offending, and the elements affecting successful reintegration and their application to achieve improved reintegration outcomes for Indigenous offenders. Posted 02-09-2008

Indigenous legal rights to freshwater

Indigenous legal rights to freshwater: Australia in the international context
Melanie Durette / Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research
The paper undertakes a comparative overview of the law as it pertains to Indigenous rights in freshwater in four countries: the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Posted 27-05-2008

Report of the stolen generations assessor

Report of the stolen generations assessor: stolen generations of Aboriginal children act 2006
Ray Groom / Department of Premier and Cabinet, State Government of Tasmania
This report provides background to the issue of the stolen generations in Tasmania and outlines the process for assessing applications and related matters. Posted 11-03-2008

Law and justice statistics

Law and justice statistics - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: a snapshot, 2006
Australian Bureau of Statistics
This snapshot presents an overview of Indigenous peoples' experiences of law and justice as reported in the 2002 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) as well as data from other relevant ABS collections. Unless otherwise specified, data relate to Indigenous people aged 15 years and over. Posted 28-11-2007