Despite ongoing amendments to the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), fundamental issues concerning identity, representation and the scope of recognised rights remain unresolved. Gain a detailed analysis of Victoria’s Treaty framework, including its interaction with existing Native Title processes and evolving obligations imposed on government. Together with leading senior and junior counsel examine current and emerging challenges in intra-Indigenous disputes concerning identity and overlapping claims, the growing involvement of litigation funders in native title compensation matters and the legal and ethical implications arising from these developments, plus more. An absolute must attend opportunity.  

Presenters

Greg McIntyre SC, Michael Kirby Chambers
Greg McIntyre SC was admitted to practice in 1974. He gained extensive experience in the first 15 years of practice in criminal law and also practised between 1984 and 1988 in Family Law. Greg was Principal Legal Officer, Aboriginal Legal Service of WA, 1988-90. From 1990-92 he worked in general litigation at Corser & Corser. He has practised solely as a Barrister since 1993. Greg has developed a High Court and Federal Court advocacy practice in the fields of Native Title, Human Rights, Immigration, Environmental law and Administrative law generally. In recent years he has also been engaged in commercial litigation, personal injury cases and legal professional conduct cases. He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2002 and since that time he has been a member of the Professional Affairs Committee of the Legal practice Board. He was appointed as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame in 2001 and the University of Western Australia in 2016. He at the University of Notre Dame between 2000 and 2012 and in 2011 lectured at the University of WA on the subject of Indigenous Peoples and the Law and in 2007 lectured in Constitutional Law at Notre Dame. He was awarded the Australian Human Rights Commission Law Award in 2011. Greg is currently President-elect of the Law Council of Australia.

Cal Viney, Barrister, Koiki Mabo Chambers
Cal has a broad practice in public law spanning first instance and appellate matters. Cal also accepts briefs in some commercial law, common law and industrial law matters. He has appeared in the High Court (special leave, led), the Federal Court (led and unled), the FCFCA (led and unled), the Supreme Court of Victoria (Court of Appeal and Trial Division, led and unled), the Supreme Court of Queensland (Trial Division, led), the County Court of Victoria (unled), the VCAT (led and unled), the AAT (led) and the Coroner’s Court of Victoria (led and unled). Cal also has experience acting for CEOs, senior executives, and Ministers of the Crown called before boards of inquiry, parliamentary inquires, regulators (e.g., APRA), anti-corruption commissions (e.g., IBAC) and ombudsmen, including when subject to compulsory examination. Cal holds an LLM (Public Law) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2012 to 2013), where he studied as a Chevening Scholar, and was awarded the Stanley De Smith Prize for the best overall performance in the public law specialism. In his undergraduate studies, Cal was awarded the Dean’s Merit List Award in Law. Cal read with Nick Wood S.C., and his senior mentor was Sturt Glacken K.C. Before coming to the Bar, Cal was Deputy General Counsel/Senior Adviser to the then Premier of Victoria (2016 to 2021), an adviser at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2014 to 2016), and a solicitor in the commercial team at Hunt & Hunt Lawyers (2011 to 2012). Cal currently sits on the Indigenous Justice Committee of the Victorian Bar, and is a member of Koiki Mabo Chambers.


Tina Jowett SC, Windeyer Chambers
Tina Jowett SC has been briefed in numerous native title trials, appeals and advice work for over 20 years. Tina is ranked as a recommended senior counsel in Doyle’s Guide and as a Band 2 senior counsel in the Chambers and Partners rankings. Tina has appeared in important native title determination trials and appeals that include Fortescue Metals Group v Warrie on behalf of the Yindjibarndi People (2019) 273 FCR 350; CG (Deceased) on behalf of the Badimia People v State of Western Australia (2016) 240 FCR 466; Banjima People v State of Western Australia (2015) 231 FCR 456; Blackburn v Wagonga Local Aboriginal Land Council (2021) 287 FCR 1; Wyman on behalf of the Bidjara People v State of Queensland (2015) 235 FCR 464; Stuart v South Australia [2023] FCAFC 131; Mace v State of Queensland (2019) 274 FCR 41; and Bodney v Bennell (2008)167 FCR 84. She has appeared for, or has advised, most Australian Native Title Representative Bodies, a number of government parties and mining proponents, and has been briefed to appear in all States and Territories. Tina also appears before the High Court in native title appeals. More recently, Tina has appeared and advised in compensation claims including the controversial Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation v State of Western Australia and Fortescue Metals Group trial. Tina’s expertise in native title issues is applied to her position as the General Editor of Australia’s only native title quarterly publication: LexisNexis’s Native Title News. She also regularly presents at Legalwise seminars and trains lawyers and anthropologists at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies workshops. In 2009, Tina was recognised by the NSW Women’s Lawyers’ Association as their ‘Woman Lawyer Advocate of the Year’. She was also a member of the NSW Equal Opportunity Tribunal from 1993 to 2003.

Raelene Webb KC, Leading Senior Counsel, Murray Chambers
Raelene Webb KC holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physics from the University of Adelaide and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland. She was admitted to the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory and the High Court of Australia in 1992. In 2004 she was appointed Queens Counsel. Raelene was appointed President of the National Native Title Tribunal for a five year term in 2013 after a distinguished career as a barrister and has now returned to private practice at Murray Chambers in Western Australia. She is recognised as one of the leading native title silks in Australia and has appeared as lead counsel in many native title and Aboriginal land matters and advised upon, and appeared in the High Court, in most land-, mark cases on the judicial interpretation and development of native title law since the decision of Mabo v Queensland (No 2). Raelene is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and was awarded the Law Council of Australia Presidents' Medal in 2014, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the legal profession in Australia.

Susan Phillips, Barrister, 13th Floor St James Hall
Susan Phillips is a barrister specialising in native title and land rights. She has published and worked in that field since the Mabo decision was handed down in 1992. Susan has been counsel to Indigenous people all over Australia representing them in the NNTT, Federal Court and in litigation, mediation and negotiations with local, State and Commonwealth governments and other parties. Susan also works on matters concerning Indigenous cultural heritage including by providing reports to the Federal Minister for the Environment where applications seeking protection of sites at risk of injury or desecration have been made.