Garma Festival 2001
Ngaarra Legal Forum Program

Thursday 23rd August - Day 1 Morning Sessions

Housekeeping

9.00 am Session 1: Welcome and Opening
Mr Galarrwuy Yunupingu AM- Yothu Yindi Foundation
Dr Mandawuy Yunupingu - Yothu Yindi Foundation
Welcome
The Hon. Chief Justice M.E. J. Black AC- Federal Court of Australia
Response on behalf of the legal community

9.45am Session 2: Indigenous Forum on the Criminal Justice System - Reports from community leaders
Speakers from communities in Arnhem land and across Australia discuss their experiences with the criminal justice system.
Chair - Mr Galarrwuy Yunupingu AM (tbc)
Mr Banambi Wunungmurra - Chair, Miwatj Aboriginal Legal Service Council
Mr Graham Carr - Solicitor, Miwatj Aboriginal Legal Service
Mandatory sentencing, and report on 'Where the Waters Meet' conference
Top End Women's Legal Service
Community legal workers in Groote Eylandt and Oenpelli
Ms Colleen Welch - Nunga Court, Port Adelaide
Nunga Court
Mr Eddie Cubillo - NT Legal Aid Commission
Ms Mayatili Marika

10.45am Questions and Discussion on Session 2
Chair to facilitate

11.15am Session 3: The ongoing evolution of the judicial system and administrative practice
Chair - Professor Cheryl Saunders - University of Melbourne
The Hon. Chief Justice M.E.J. Black AC - Federal Court of Australia
Giving evidence and court procedures
Ms Christine Charles - Chief Executive, Department of Human Services, Adelaide
Reducing arrest and imprisonment rates for indigenous youth
Mr Rex Wild QC - Director of Public Prosecutions, NT
The independent role of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Northern Territory.

12.15pm Discussion on Session 3
Chair to facilitate

12.30pm Lunch

2.00pm Session 4: Workshops - The interaction of criminal justice and customary law.
Professor Nancy Williams - University of Queensland
Overview of customary law
Mr Ron 'Doc' Reynolds - Aboriginal Legal Service of WA
Recognition of customary law in WA courts
Workshop discussions in groups:
Adults (men and women), Men, Women, Youth

3.30pm Session 5: Conclusion and receipt of reports from workshops
Workshop facilitators

4.00pm End of Day 1 sessions

5.00pm Commencement of Ngaarra ceremony
Yolngu participants, directed by Galarrwuy Yunupingu

9.00 am Session 6: Systemic overview of the criminal justice system - national and NT perspectives
Associate Professor Chris Cunneen – Director, Institute of Criminology, University of Sydney
Overview of sentencing patterns and Aboriginal imprisonment rates in Australia, NT and WA
Ms Veronica McClintic - Director, NAALAS
The impact of the public order and anti-social behaviour act
Mr David Woodroffe – Solicitor, NAALAS
Situation of juveniles in Arnhem land and the criminal justice system
Mr John Hughes – Solicitor, NAALAS
Community housing issues and the criminal justice system

10.00am Discussion on Session 6
Chair to facilitate

10.15am Session 7: Options for reducing arrest and imprisonment rates
Mr Paul Chartrand - Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission, Canada
International perspective - the Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission
Professor James Guest - University of Alberta, Canada
International perspective – restorative justice
Mr Declan Roche – ANU
Victim/offender conferencing

11.15am Discussion on Session 7
Chair to facilitate

11.30am Session 8: Workshops - Issues for Indigenous people in the criminal justice system
Workshop discussions in groups:
Adults (men and women), Men, Women, Youth

12.30pm Lunch
Chair for the afternoon - Mr Banambi Wunungmurra &/or Professor Garth Nettheim

2.00 pm Session 9: Report back on workshops
Workshop facilitators

2.30pm Session 10: Panel of experts and forum participants
Chair to facilitate
Panel participants (names tbc)

3.30pm Presentation of conference statement
Chair to facilitate

4.00pm End of sessions

5.00pm Continuation of Ngaarra ceremony