As a result of increased advocacy for justice reinvestment in recent years, the Australian Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee is conducting an Inquiry into the value of a justice reinvestment approach to criminal justice in Australia. The Australian Human Rights Commission’s former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Dr Tom Calma, was one...

This paper examines some of the constitutional deficiencies in the protection of Indigenous peoples rights, in order to demonstrate the real need to grasp the ‘constitutional moment’ and reform our foundational document.

Jason Behrendt shares his views on the interpretation of Section 36(1) of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (NSW) that allows for claims to Crown lands and the position of the Crown Lands Minister in relation to the local Aboriginal land council. Image: 'Everleigh Street', Newtown grafitti / flickr

Looking at the patchy attention paid to the 'Standard Indigenous Question' by police around Australia, this article discusses the practical difficulties in developing appropriate policy responses to ensure that Indigenous victims of sexual violence are properly protected by the mainstream criminal justice system.

The issue of appropriate legal and social supports is critical to the question of Indigenous overrepresentation in the criminal justice system. This article discusses this relationship, arguing that the overwhelming emphasis on communities' criminal law needs distracts from other equally important, though perhaps less urgent, practical concerns. The authors argue that more attention needs to...