Reconciliation and Social Justice Library
Reconciliation and Social Justice Library
The Aboriginal court was ineffective primarily because it did not reflect the mores of the local community. The Queensland Government dictated the structure and content of the laws, which stigmatized behaviour that was acceptable to the reserve population under certain conditions e.g., ... swearing in public ... The purpose of this imposition was to teach Aborigines European values and decorum, and to deter behaviour which Whites found offensive. The administration of justice at Yarrabah provided no such deterrence; it just caused economic hardship. [190]
Because the dominant State Government influence over the court and over the rules it applies is exercised indirectly rather than directly, the court 'machinery also gives certain Aborigines great power over other Aborigines...', [191] and its decisions may thus reflect and support particular local interests or groups at the expense of (unrepresented) others.