Indigenous Law and Justice Hub win Teaching Excellence award for On Country subject

Eddie Cubillo and Jaynaya Dwyer win the 2023 University of Melbourne Award for Excellence and Innovation in Indigenous Higher Education for their Access to Justice on Country Juris Doctor subject.

Watch the 2023 Darwin Trip highlights:

Dr Eddie Cubillo and Jaynaya Dwyer, have been acknowledged for their outstanding efforts in reshaping legal education through the innovative subject Access to Justice on Country, taught as an ‘On-Country’ learning experience delivered on-site in Larrakia Country, Darwin’.

The subject provided students with a unique learning experience and allowed them to consider key and emerging issues of access-to-justice that lawyers must critically engage with in their work, with particular attention to First Nations justice. It exposed them to a diverse range of justice and human rights organisations to empower students to critically analyse key issues, providing an opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation of these challenges within cultural, historical and societal contexts.

For this inaugural year, students travelled to Larrakia Country in Darwin, where they were taken through the historic and contemporary context of Aboriginal justice in the Northern Territory and in Victoria, and community understandings of justice.  Key topics such as Access to Justice policy in Australia and the role of Aboriginal corporations and community-controlled organisations contributing to self-determined initiatives were covered, and students were encouraged to consider their own positionality in relation to and complicity in, barriers to access-to-justice within legal institutions.

This offering left a lasting impression on all 15 students, demonstrated through the overwhelmingly positive feedback received:

'Access to Justice on Country was easily the best subject I’ve done at law school. It was such an honour to be welcomed to Eddie’s country with open arms and experience a thought-provoking fortnight. At times I was shocked by my ignorance and at times we had very difficult conversations; but overall I am so thankful for the multitude of wonderful speakers and experiences Eddie and Jaynaya arranged. I also really appreciated the way it cut through all parts of the law from criminal to property and business. The assessment also provided a unique way to consolidate my knowledge and allowed me to express myself in ways I hadn’t previously contemplated in law school, writing self-reflections, a blog and an alternate judgment. My law school experience has been thoroughly enriched by this subject and I look forward to taking the rich learnings from this to all my future legal endeavours.’

- Ben Hubbard

‘Prior to taking part in Access to Justice on Country, I felt disengaged and disillusioned studying law. With the long hours of study, the stress and the cost of the degree, I was considering whether I had made a mistake. However, the opportunity afforded to me in this amazing subject was transformative. Dr Eddie Cubillo and Jaynaya Dwyer guided us to experience a raw, real side of law. We spoke with passionate, experienced people about their stories, their work and their aspirations for the future. The entire course invoked in all of us a passion for learning and a desire to engage with meaningful discourse. It showed me that the skills I learn in this degree can be channelled towards change and reform. Access to Justice on Country was the best learning experience in my formal education.’

- Audrey Fitzgerald

‘Access to Justice on Country has been the most impactful subject I've done at law school because the students were given the opportunity to see how Australian law actually affects people's lives. From day one as law students, we're told that the law is fair and just, but this subject showed how Australian law has historically and continually discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. As a teacher, Eddie was incredibly generous with his legal knowledge and life experience. He was always down-to-earth, available for a chat, and funny — he really emphasised the importance of treating everyone with respect and always taking the time to listen. Because of these insights, I felt like I left the subject with real legal skills and also as a more well-rounded person.’

- Edward Griffith

2023 cohort

Congratulations Eddie and Jaynaya on winning the 2023 Melbourne Award for Excellence and Innovation in Indigenous Higher Education.