LA2903 - Indigenous Peoples and the Law

The intersection between law and Indigenous peoples is complex. In contemporary Australian society, Indigenous legal issues are multi-faceted and often misunderstood. Students undertaking this subject as part of a non-law course will develop useful legal analytical skills. Law students will be exposed to models and lenses that will shift their perspective by challenging traditional models of governance, property, sovereignty, and rights. Students will undertake practical legal tasks such as a native title claim, a dispute resolution, and/or a racial discrimination application and then reflect upon the effectiveness of these. Story-telling techniques of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples forms the overarching theme of this subject, beginning with an historical analysis of the intersection between the common law and Indigenous people globally.

Learning Outcomes

• critically evaluate challenges to conventional norms of Australian sovereignty, governance and property rights;
• design and create novel solutions to real-world legal challenges for Indigenous people;
• apply legislation and common law rules to legal scenarios;
• identify and explain contemporary legal issues involving Indigenous intellectual property, justice and discrimination.

Subject Assessment

• Written > Briefing paper - (30%) - Individual
• Written > Journal - (30%) - Individual
• Performance/Practice/Product > Scenario-based learning activity - (40%) - Group & Individual.

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.