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Western Australia's Chief Justice Wayne Martin, former Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Fred Chaney and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda are among the speakers at this year's National Indigenous Legal Conference, to be held in WA for the first time next month.

Jointly hosted by The University of Western Australia, The University of Notre Dame Australia and the WA Law Society, the conference will be held on Friday 5 October at Notre Dame and Saturday 6 October at UWA.

The conference , to be opened by Chief Justice Martin, aims to provide an insight into current and developing strategies in the promotion and protection of Indigenous people's land, law, culture and country.

The program will focus on prospective pathways for Indigenous peoples in Australia, and particularly the innovative work being undertaken across diverse areas of practice.

This year's conference addresses two key themes, "New Approaches to Justice" and "Cultural and Natural Resources Management."  Sessions will include discussions on the Noongar native title claim, stolen wages, joint management of country and youth diversionary programs in criminal justice.

The conference will also examine the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Chief Justice Martin will speak on Friday about "Resolving the Intractable - the Overrepresentation of Aboriginal People in the Criminal Justice System" while Mr Chaney will discuss "Visions of the Future for Indigenous People" on Saturday.

Commissioner Gooda will close the conference on Saturday with a session, "Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples."

Conference sponsors include; the Australian Government Attorney-General's Department, the WA Department of the Attorney General, the Law Council of Australia and Allens Linklaters.

Media references

Associate Professor Meredith Blake (UWA Law School)  (+61 8)  6488 7011
Leigh Dawson (Notre Dame Communications)  (+61 8)  9433 0569  /  (+61 4) 05 441 093
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783