Since early colonisation, relations between indigenous and non-indigenous communities have been the cause of much tension within Australia. Historically, relations between indigenous communities and the police have been particularly volatile and unstable, and with the death of indigenous man Cameron Doomadgee in police custody in November 2004, this relationship only suffered more. Drawing from various resources, this paper will critically analyse the factors surrounding the death itself, and both the legal and social implications of the incident in order to gain and understanding as to the impact Cameron Doomadgee’s death had on indigenous/police relations within Australia. On November 19, 2004, Indigenous man Cameron Doomadgee (Mulrunji) …show more content…
A post-mortem coronial report conducted on 24 November, 2004 concluded that Mulrunji’s death was the result of abdominal haemorrhaging, a consequence of a ruptured liver and portal vein (Campbell, 2011). He was also reported to have a cut above his right eye. Both coronial inquiries criticised the actions of the QPS and the way in which the investigation was handled, with particular regard for the choice of investigative officers (Keenan, 2009). The report further went on to find an inappropriate use of police discretion, and that Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley had lied about his actions in treating Mulrunji. In September of 2006, another coronial report conducted by the Acting State Coroner of Queensland, Christine Clements, reported that the fatal injuries Mulrunji suffered were a result of a number of punches delivered by Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley (Hart, 2009). This report was met with mixed reactions from the community and the police. Palm Island residents were reportedly relieved and elated with the news with the hope of finally receiving justice for Mulrunji’s death, while the QPS were outraged. According to an interview the ABC conducted with the then-president of the Queensland Police Union (QPU) Gary Wilkinson, he stated Clements …show more content…
While the legal system has taken positive steps forward in that it grants indigenous land rights and prohibits racial discrimination via legislation, it is also responsible for incarceration rates of indigenous Australians over 15 times that of non-indigenous Australians. Even though Indigenous people comprise less than 2.5 percent of the total population of Australia, they account for one-third of people involved in custody related incidents (Lyneham, Joudo-Larsen and Beacroft, 2010). In 2008-09, 15 indigenous people died in prisons in Australia, while in 2010-11 that number rose to 21 – the highest on record (AIC). However, it should be noted the trend regarding indigenous deaths in custody is becoming less and less prevalent, and the National Deaths in Custody Program Monitoring Report indicated that that overall custody related incidents have decreased over the past decade. An example of the government recognising indigenous rights occurred in 1986, when the Queensland government relinquished control of Palm Island to the newly formed community council, recognising their right to self-government. While some may view this as a positive movement for indigenous and non-indigenous relations, it is important to recognise the consequences of this action. Following the relinquishment of control, the government swiftly withdrew infrastructure from the
There have been many unanswered questions in Australia about Aboriginal history. One of these is which government policy towards indigenous people has had the largest impact on Indigenous Australians? Through research the Assimilation Policy had the largest impact upon Indigenous Australians and the three supporting arguments to prove this are the Aborigines losing their rights to freedom, Aboriginal children being removed from their families, and finally the loss of aboriginality.
Indigenous People. In evaluating the Legal System’s response to Indigenous People and it’s achieving of justice, an outline of the history of Indigenous Australians - before and during settlement - as well as their status in Australian society today must be made. The dispossession of their land and culture has deprived Indigenous People of economic revenue that the land would have provided if not colonised, as well as their ... ... middle of paper ... ...
LaPrairie, C. (1995). Community justice or just communities? Aboriginal communities in search of justice. Canadian Journal of Criminology. 37 (4), 521-535.
Struggles by Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people for recognition of their rights and interests have been long and arduous (Choo & Hollobach: 2003:5). The ‘watershed’ decision made by the High Court of Australia in 1992 (Mabo v Queensland) paved the way for Indigenous Australians to obtain what was ‘stolen’ from them in 1788 when the British ‘invaded’ (ATSIC:1988). The focus o...
During the late sixteen century, when the first fleet arrived to Australia and discovered the free settlers or known as Australian Indigenous inheritors (The Aborigines), the community of aboriginal inhabitants since then have experienced vast levels of discrimination and racism against their gender, race, colour and ethnicity. The term over representations refers to the presents of minority or disproportionate ethnic aboriginal groups represented in the criminal justice system (CJS). This essay will further explain the relationship between aboriginal communities and policing discussed in Blagg (2008) and Cunneen (2007, the three major sources of concern in association to aboriginal over representation in CJS which include; systematic bias,
Beresford, Q., & Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. (2006). Rob Riley: an aboriginal leader's quest for justice. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press.
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Comack, E. (2012). Racialized policing: Aboriginal people's encounters with the police. Black Point, Nova Scotia: Fernwood Publishing.
The system in place is completely unsuitable and unhelpful for Native people and it shows just how indifferent Canada is to First Nations peoples’ well-being. Zimmerman explains in his article “Outcomes” that it is a well-known fact that Aboriginal people are overrepresented in the prison system (1992). There are so many reasons why this is so, and the majority of those reasons are because of the terrible way that Canada has interacted with them. They are isolated in their reserves, they are haunted by their residential school experiences, leading to alcoholism, domestic violence and neglect, and they face discrimination and a lack of social support from the government. Once an Aboriginal person finds themselves in the clutches of the prison system, the indifference begins. Canada’s criminal justice system is indifferent to an Aboriginal person’s cultural, spiritual, and individual needs that separate them from the average convicted person (Zimmerman, 1992). The criminal justice system ignores the unique idea of justice and restoration that First Nations peoples have, making it extremely irrelevant and unhelpful for them. First Nations peoples have linguistic and cultural barriers and a lack of counsel and understanding of the criminal processes and, therefore, have misguided rulings and inaccurate proceedings. Canada has not provided the cultural training and
The Stolen Generation has left devastating impacts upon the Aboriginal culture and heritage, Australian history and the presence of equality experienced today. The ‘Stolen Generation’ refers to the children of Aboriginal descent being forcefully abducted by government officials of Australia and placed within institutions and catholic orphanages, being forced to assimilate into ‘white society’. These dehumanising acts placed these stolen children to experience desecration of culture, loss of identity and the extinction of their race. The destructive consequences that followed were effects of corruption including attempted suicide, depression and drug and alcohol abuse. The indigenous peoples affected by this have endured solitude for many years, this has only been expressed to the public recently and a proper apology has been issued, for the years of ignorance to the implementation of destruction of culture. The Stolen Generation has dramatically shaped Australian history and culture.
Since the time of federation the Aboriginal people have been fighting for their rights through protests, strikes and the notorious ‘day of mourning’. However, over the last century the Australian federal government has generated policies which manage and restrained that of the Aboriginal people’s rights, citizenships and general protection. The Australian government policy that has had the most significant impact on indigenous Australians is the assimilation policy. The reasons behind this include the influences that the stolen generation has had on the indigenous Australians, their relegated rights and their entitlement to vote and the impact that the policy has had on the indigenous people of Australia.
The Tall Man by Australian author Chloe Hooper is an expository text published in 2008, exploring the death of an Aboriginal man named Cameron Doomadgee while in police custody on Palm Island, an Aboriginal reserve off the coast of Queensland. On the morning of November 19th, 2004, Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, a White Australian police officer, arrested Doomadgee for allegedly causing a public nuisance. Less than an hour after his arrest, Doomadgee was pronounced dead in his cell. Sufficient evidence was found to lead the Deputy Coroner to find Hurley responsible for Doomadgee’s death. Doomadgee’s death served as a catalyst for civic disturbances on the island, and a legal, political, and media sensation that continued for three years.
Summary of Text: ‘The Redfern Address’ is a speech that was given to a crowd made up of mainly indigenous Australians at the official opening of the United Nations International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples in Redfern Park, New South Wales. This text deals with many of the challenges that have been faced by Indigenous Australians over time, while prompting the audience to ask themselves, ‘How would I feel?’ Throughout the text, Keating challenges the views of history over time, outlines some of the outrageous crimes committed against the Indigenous community, and praises the indigenous people on their contribution to our nation, despite the way they have been treated.
The ability of police to exercise discretion was originally designed to allow officers to maintain the peace by allowing certain types of crime to remain unpunished in certain circumstances. This essay will aim to explore the issue of police discretion that suggests that the application of discretion works against the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In drawing this conclusion, this essay will examine the relationship between policing ideals and the use of discretionary powers and the relationship between policing attitudes and the use of discretionary powers. A discussion regarding the use of police discretion towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can scarcely be mentioned without making reference to arguably the greatest failing by a police officer since indigenous Australians were formally recognised as citizens. Further to this, the case of Mulrunji Doomadgee (Cameron) will be examined from the point of view of officer discretionary powers. The penultimate point to be made will involve the Anglo Australian response to this case as well as the ongoing relationship between indigenous Australians and the institutions that govern them. As mentioned, the first point will involve policing ideals and their relationship to discretionary powers.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been the first nations, which represented the whole Australian population, for centuries. However, the continuous European colonization has severely affected these peoples and, over the decades, their unique values and cultures, which enriched the life of Australian nation and communities, were not respected and discriminated by numerous restrictive policies. As a result, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have turned into the voiceless minority of the Australian population. Fortunately, in recent years, these issues became the concern of the Australian government, promoting a slight improvement in the well being of native Australians. Nowadays, there are numerous social work