Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "Update: Aboriginal Consumer Perspective; Aboriginal Justice Issues Conference; Aboriginal Perspectives on Criminal Justice" [1992] AboriginalLawB 14; (1992) 1(55) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2

• Update
• Aboriginal Consumer Perspective
• Aboriginal Justice Issues Conference
• Aboriginal Perspectives On Criminal Justice

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Update

Aboriginal Consumer Perspective

Aboriginal consumer issues have been highlighted in a submission by the financial counsellors' peak body, the Australian Financial Counsellors and Credit Reform Association (AFCCRA), to the Australian Law Reform Commission's inquiry 'Multi-culturalism: consumer contracts'.

Issues canvassed in the AFCCRA paper include: Plain English credit contracts, the role of interpreters, summaries of contract conditions and terms, model contracts, the role of credit tribunals, cooling off periods, sellers' role as agents for credit providers, guarantors, co-borrowers and general jurisdictional issues.

Contributors to the paper represented every mainland State and the Northern Territory, and included many financial counselling organisations who operate in remote rural areas.

Copies of the paper The Aboriginal Consumer Perspective can be obtained from the AFCCRA Secretariat (ph: 06 239 7541). or the Australian Consumers Association (ph: 02 558 0099, contact - Ken Lovett).

Aboriginal Justice Issues Conference

Issues of Aboriginal justice are receiving wider attention, particularly since the tabling in May 1991 of the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and the more recent tabling of the Government's response in Parliament. The Australian Institute of Criminology is organising a conference to promote further discussion and wider understanding about these issues. It will be held in Cairns from the 23rd - 25th of June.

The objective of the conference is to identify positive solutions to the problems associated with Aboriginal people and the criminal justice system, particularly focusing on Aboriginal perspectives. Further information can be obtained from Sandra McKillop, ph [phone] or fax [phone].

Aboriginal Perspectives on Criminal Justice

The Institute of Criminology at Sydney University Law School, as part of its Monograph Series, has published Aboriginal Perspectives on Criminal Justice.

The book, edited by Chris Cunneen, contains articles from Pat O'Shane, Evelyn Crawford, Bill Craigie, Kevin Kitchener, Jason Behrendt and Sharon Payne. These are supplemented by the poetry of Cec Fisher, Burraga Gutya and Cherie Imlah and photographs from Dennis Fisher, Nell de Rome and Kevin May.

Most of the articles were papers delivered at the Institute's seminar 'Aboriginal People and the Criminal Justice System'. The book provides Aboriginal perspectives on deaths in custody and the recommendations of the Royal Commission, racism and the criminal justice system, summary offences, Aboriginal women and the justice system, and international law issues.

The Aboriginal perspectives are supplemented with commentaries by Hal Wootten QC, Chris Cunneen and Prof. James Crawford who canvass the additional areas of over-policing and the recognition of Aboriginal customary laws.

The book is available for $20 from the Institute of Criminology, Sydney University Law School, 173-175 Phillip St, Sydney, NSW, 2000.