*AustLII* *RSJ Library* Reconciliation and Social Justice Library

[RSJ Home] [Global AustLII Search] [RSJ Database Search]
[Table of Contents] [Previous] [Next] [Download]
THE RECOGNITION OF ABORIGINAL CUSTOMARY LAWS - 715. 'The Ten-Man Committee'.
In order to deal with law and order problems the community selects what is called the 'ten-man committee'. [122] The committee's function to apprehend and bring wrongdoers before a community meeting. The meeting will then consider the behaviour of the offender and determine an appropriate punishment. The 'tenman committee' cannot, however, act unilaterally:

it cannot go off and act by itself. It must have the agreement of the community. In other words, the Committee does not initiate the action; the community initiates the action. [123]

The jurisdiction of the 'ten-man committee' is not limited to the boundaries of the community. It regularly visits Port Hedland and other localities to apprehend persons. The range of offences for which persons may be picked up and returned to the community are quite broad: some may involve breaches of kin or community obligations but many are alcohol related. Some young persons are picked up because their drinking habits are considered detrimental to their health and welfare. Alcohol is certainly perceived by the people at Strelley as a major destructive factor to Aboriginal people and their culture. [124]


[RSJ Home] [Global AustLII Search] [RSJ Database Search]
[Table of Contents] [Previous] [Next] [Download]