On notice

The Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT has put the incoming NSW government on notice, releasing figures that show one in two juveniles in detention are Aboriginal, and just less than one in three adults in jail are Aboriginal. This is despite the fact that Aboriginal people make up only one in 50, or two per cent, […]

Art work unveiled at Vibe Alive

Adding a constitutional flavour to the Vibe Alive Festival on this week in Townsville will be the unveiling of the Preamble School’s Art Project by Queensland Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Curtis Pitt. Vibe Alive is a fun, two-day festival for all school-aged Australians that celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures […]

An emotional National Sorry Day

Australians marked National Sorry Day in communities across the country yesterday, reflecting on the grief and trauma experienced by members of the Stolen Generations. Federal Minister for Indigenous Health Warren Snowdon said The Australian Government recognised that for members of the Stolen Generations, healing is a continuing process that requires ongoing support and understanding. “In […]

UN first for Megan

Megan Davis, the first Indigenous Australian women to be elected to the United Nations (UN) Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues attended her first session of the Forum in New York this week. She joins 16 independent experts nominated by Governments and Indigenous organisations across the world to examine Indigenous issues including economic and social development, […]

March 1 – Mick Gooda

Former ATSIC chief executive Mick Gooda was last year named as Tom Calmas’ predecessor as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. A descendant of the Gangulu people of central Queensland, his career included lengthy service to the now defunct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, as its WA state manager and later […]

‘Historic’ opportunity on native title, McClellan

Federal Attorney-General Robert McClellan has described a meeting of commonwealth and state government ministers in Perth as an “historic opportunity” to advance the interests of Indigenous Australians. Ministers responsible for native title met today to discuss a planned overhaul of native title law, which Mr McClelland believes will make it simpler and more effective in […]

Amend intervention legislation, says Calma

Indigenous leader Tom Calma has revealed a 10- point plan for the Government to improve the intervention in the Northern Territory after claiming the legislation must be substantially amended. In his fourth annual Social Justice Report, the Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice says that while he supports the intentions of the […]

A New Call for Justice

It’s time to Close the Gap. Join the campaign today. This month Australia celebrates the 40 year anniversary of the 1967 Referendum ” when 90 per cent of Australians voted to give Aboriginal people equal rights. It was an important step in our nation’s history and in granting Indigenous Australian the rights that they so […]

Your Rights and Responsibilities

If the police ask you to come to the police station with them, you may not have to go. Ask them why they want you to come to the police station, and whether you have to go. If they say that you’re under arrest, politely ask “What for”? or “What is the charge?”. If you […]

Dr Larissa Behrendt

Deadly Vibe Issue 93 November 2004 Home is where the heart is There can’t be much space left on Larissa Behrendt’s mantelpiece. Alongside her countless degrees, including a doctorate from Harvard Law School, and a David Unaipon award, Larissa now needs to find room for her latest prize – a Deadly for Outstanding Achievement in […]

Judge Bob Bellear

Deadly Vibe Issue 98 April 2005 Vale Judge Bob Bellear Aboriginal Australia mourns the loss of a true leader Last month saw the tragic passing of the first and only Aboriginal judge. Judge Bob Bellear passed away on Tuesday, March 15 after a long battle with cancer. Bob was a Noonucal/Bundjalung man from Murwillumbah, on […]

Terri Janke

Deadly Vibe Issue 99 May 2005 Black Justice A career in law involves so much more than just wearing a funny wig and saying “yes, your honour”. It can be a challenging and diverse occupation that opens up a whole world of opportunity. Ever since 1976, when Pat O’ Shane became the first Indigenous law […]