Contributing 

Is Aboriginal legal service free?

Leia Doyle

Is Aboriginal legal service free?

A proud Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation The Aboriginal Legal Service opened our doors in 1970 in Redfern as the first Aboriginal Legal Service in Australia, and the first free legal assistance service in the country – that makes us almost 50 years old!

What legal support options do Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders have in Australia?

Legal support and reporting crime

  • Police services and reporting crime.
  • Reporting abuse.
  • Legal help.
  • Support through the justice system.
  • Consumer rights.
  • Community Justice Group Program.

Are indigenous people given harsher sentences?

One intuitive explanation for higher incarceration rates is that Aboriginals receive harsher (longer) prison sentences than non-Aboriginals for similar crimes. The recurring finding of shorter sentences is surprising, but still not considered conclusive.

What is Murri Court?

A Murri Court is a court for sentencing Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander offenders who have pleaded guilty to an offence which is able to be heard by a magistrate. It is less intimidating than a normal Magistrates Court and the magistrate is assisted in a number of ways by Indigenous Elders.

What is closing the gap Indigenous?

The Close the Gap Campaign aims to close the health and life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians within a generation. In February 2018 we released the Close the Gap: 10 Year Review.

What’s the meaning of terra nullius?

nobody’s land
Terra nullius means “nobody’s land”. This doctrine has existed in the law of nations throughout the development of Western democracy. The fact that it is a Latin phrase gives us the clue that it is derived from Roman law – the concept that ownership by seizure of a thing no one owns is legitimate.

Are indigenous people overrepresented?

Indigenous people are overrepresented in the Canadian criminal justice system as both victims/survivors Footnote 8 and accused/convicted individuals. At the same time, Indigenous youth accounted for 50% of custody admissions, while representing 8% of the Canadian youth population.

Why are indigenous people denied bail?

Aboriginal accused are more likely to be denied bail. Aboriginal people spend more time in pre-trial detention than do non-Aboriginal people. The over-representation of Aboriginal people occurs at virtually every step of the judicial process, from the charging of individuals to their sentencing.