THE LOST PROMISE OF MABO: AN UPDATE ON THE LEGAL STRUGGLE FOR LAND RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE WARD AND YORTA YORTA DECISIONS Janice Gray1 Faculty of Law University of New South Wales Sydney, New South Wales 2052 Australia Email:
[email protected] Abstract I Resume In 1992, the Mabo decision was handed down by the High Court of Aus tralia. The judgement was heralded as marking a great leap forward in the historico-Iegal struggle of Indigenous rights in or in relation to land. This paper argues that the case symbolised hope, aspiration and a height ened willingness, on the part of the judiciary, to respond to racial and legal injustice. Yet, the paper also concludes that the promise contained in Mabo has not been fulfilled and that more recent decisions of the High Court, such as Ward and Yorla Yorla, have helped undermine that hope and promise, so much so that the pursuit of Native title might not be the most beneficial course available to those seeking greater land justice. En 1992, la High Court de I'Australie a rendu Ie jugement Mabo, quiaete salue comme un grandbond en avant dans la lutte historique et juridique pour les droits territoriaux des Autochtones. La presente communica tion met de I'avant que Ie cas Mabo a symbolise I'~espoir et les aspira;. tions des Aborigenes, ainsi qu'une bienveillance accrue de la part du systeme judiciaire de reagir aus injustices raciales etjuridiques. Pourtant, I'auteure conclut que la promesse contenue dans Ie jugement Mabo n'a pas ete realisee et que les decisions plus recentes· de la High Court, telles que les jugements Ward et Yorla Yorla, ont sape quelque peu cet espoir et cette promiesse, a telle enseigne que la poursuite des·droits de propriete autochtones pourrait ne pas etre Ie meilleur moyen a la disposition des personnes et des groupes qui recherchent la justice en matiere de revendications territoriales.