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	Aboriginal Law Bulletin

Whose Law?
What Order?

On March 14, the recently announced Campaign for Criminal Justice held a public meeting in Sydney to discuss urgent criminal justice issues. An independent group of lawyers, academics, criminal justice practitioners and members of community groups initiated the CCJ in response to their growing concern over the 'we're - gonna get- tough' law and order rhetoric, paraded as serious policies by both the Labour and Liberal/National Coalition parties prior to the recent NSW State election.

Aboriginal candidate for the Upper House, Ms Millie Ingram, delivered what was from all accounts a compelling speech in which she gave an historical, socio-economic and, at times personal overview of the involvement of Aboriginal people with European law. Ms Ingram was highly critical of the Coalition Government's 'medieval pol - icy on law and order', in particular with regard to its effect on Aboriginal people, and its pledge to repeal the NSW Land Rights Legislation. She ended her speech on a chilling note:

'For my people, the election of a Greiner government offers no more hope than the election of a Botha government does to our brothers and sisters in South Africa'

Chris Cuneen, a former research officer at the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, also spoke at the meeting. He directed attention to various law and order issues detailed in the findings of the recently published report which he co-authored - Criminal Justice in North West NSW. The report highlights the excessive over-policing of Aborigines living in the north west of the State, draconian use of the common law in instances of public disorder and deplorable statistics on Aboriginal unemployment and lack of eduction. But possibly even more disturbing, were Mr Cuneen's revelations on the information which had been suppressed in the official publication of his report. This material related specifically to, the use of the law and order' bandwagon for the promotion of racist doctrines and law enforcement policies, and to further the, interests of the National Party and right wing extremist groups such as the League of Rights.

[It is proposed, space restrictions permitting to publish these two speeches in the next issue of AboriginalLB.]