Reconciliation and Social Justice Library
Reconciliation and Social Justice Library
While there are 12 Aboriginal trust areas in Queensland entitled to conduct Aboriginal courts, [161] the number that actually do, and the regularity of court sittings, are unknown. Nor is there any regular statistical information available on offences heard or penalties imposed by the Aboriginal courts. As a result some caution must be exercised in assessing the statistics that are available. It cannot be assumed that these give a clear picture of the situation throughout Queensland. Commission staff visited Aboriginal communities in North Queensland in 1979, 1981 and 1984. [162] During the 1979 and 1984 visits, the Aboriginal courts were seen in operation and court records were examined. The new legislation was in force during the 1984 visit but the old by-laws and regulations still operated. Thus the courts worked very much as they had done in 1979. The following observations are made on the basis of these visits and other information available to the Commission.