2017 John Koowarta Reconciliation Law Scholarships – Applications Open

John Koowarta Reconciliation Law Scholarship | Indigenous Lawyers Queensland

The Law Council of Australia’s John Koowarta Reconciliation Law Scholarship is now open for the 2017 Scholarship Round. The scholarship is available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in an approved course of study that is a prerequisite to admission as a legal practitioner in any Australian jurisdiction at or through an Australian tertiary institution. Applications close on the 2 December 2016.

The John Koowarta Reconciliation Law Scholarship commemorates John Koowarta, a member of the Winychanam community at Aurukun and a traditional owner of the Archer River region on Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. Mr Koowarta challenged the Queensland Government under the Federal Racial Discrimination Act 1975 after its decision to prevent the Aboriginal Land Fund from acquiring a crown lease on a pastoral property for the Winychanam people. The decision by the Bjelke-Peterson Government was based on cabinet policy at the time, which opposed ownership of large tracts of land by Aboriginal peoples. The Queensland Government challenged the validity of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 in the High Court and was defeated. The High Court’s decision was later pivotal in the recognition of native title in Mabo v Queensland (No.2).

To get more information on the application and to download the application for please go to the Law Council of Australia’s website.