Abstract

In 2010, the Australian Federal Court reached a landmark decision: to recognize the native title rights of Torres Strait Islanders over some 40,000 sq. km. of ocean in the Torres Strait, thus bringing to an end a nine-year legal battle. The ramifications of this decision were significant – not only for the Islanders, but also for scholars, legal practitioners, policymakers and others with an interest in the scope and nature of indigenous rights around the world. In this special SARA seminar, we bring together two distinguished scholars who were involved in this historic case: Paul Finn, the Federal Court judge who presided over the Sea Claim, and Ian McNiven, an archaeologist who was one of its expert witnesses. Join us for what promises to be an exciting discussion about the process of native title in Australia, the use of expert evidence in claims…and the activities of a certain A.C. Haddon, the founding father of Cambridge anthropology.

The seminar will be followed by drinks at the University Centre. For further information, please contact Greg Delaplace (gd307), Jon Mair (jrm35) or Liana Chua (lclc2).