Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee regarding the Attorney-General’s Portfolio Miscellaneous Measures Bill 2023. This Bill is an omnibus Bill in which one component – Schedule 4, Part 2 seeks the abolish the Native Title Respondent Scheme. This scheme supports access to fair and equitable justice by facilitating efficient and effective resolution of Native Title claims. The scheme does this through contributing towards the salary of Native Title Officers, who work with individuals and organisations who are respondent to native title litigation. Ensuring fair and equal access to legal representation to all parties.
To date, the delivered and intended outcomes of the program are:
- Increasing understanding of native title issues by members of peak bodies or organisations;
- Coordination of instructions to legal representatives; and
- The grouping of respondents in claim areas.
In the submission we outline why this is an effective scheme and why it shouldn’t be abolished as the Bill seeks to do. Ultimately, leading to NFF’s opposition to this component of the omnibus Bill.
Akshata Giri