Legal Education for True Justice: Indigenous Perspectives and Deep Listening On Country
Truly understanding law in Australia requires us to listen to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.
We must find new ways to incorporate these voices in legal education and provide opportunities for law students, lawyers, law schools, the judiciary to listen to people from different positions of experience and authority, including the voices of interpreters, lawyers, traditional owners and academics. If we are to incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander views into legal education, then we must do so in a way that draws upon the insights and perspectives across these different positions, and do so on country and where there can be deep listening and reflective practice.
The development of this capacity to listen and respond is core to ethical practice from the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lawyer, and the development of cultural competency for law students, legal academics, the legal profession and judiciary.
Seeking partners to transform legal education
NAAJA and Winkiku Rrumbangi NT Indigenous Lawyers Aboriginal Corporation are seeking to engage and partner with law schools, legal organisations, firms, institutions and agencies to support Aboriginal-led initiatives to transform legal education.
We co-design with partners and customise courses focusing on the following participant groups:
- Law students at different stages of learning
- Legal Practitioners
- Lecturers in law
- Judicial Officers
Our courses draw on established legal education methods and practices that are Aboriginal-led. We will hold these courses in different locations across the Northern Territory, and seek to involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lawyers from across different nations and to develop a ‘community of practice’ to enable the sharing of insights and perspectives.
To express interest to be involved please email deeplistening@naaja.org.au
Objectives
- To establish intensive, on-country programs which engage law students, legal academics, lawyers and judiciary in increasing cultural competency.
- Enable future legal professionals, and those already involved in law, to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and critiques about the nature and impacts of state laws and concepts of justice.
- Develop an understanding of what it means to listen, collaborate and ally themselves with justice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Collaborate to innovate and grow the program to help recalibrate Australian legal education and the legal system for true justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Exemplar course: partnership with the College of Law, Australian National University (ANU)
The ANU College of Law is partnering with NAAJA to put in place an exemplar course near Uluru and for law students as part of the Bachelor of Laws in September 2020.
More information about this course is https://programsandcourses.anu.edu.au/course/LAWS4307
From Left to Right: Derek Hunt, Stephanie Monck, Kristy Bloomfield, James Parfitt (Fejo), Braedyn Edwards, Dr Anthony Hopkins