Naarm Law Students on the Voice 2023
Earlier in the year, a group of MLS students came together, eager to address the misinformation that was circulating amongst members of the public on the design and purpose of the proposed constitutional amendment. They formed “Naarm Law Students on Voice”, an indigenous-led, community-informed and culturally safe program which provides fact-based and neutral community legal education.
This semester over 90 MLS students have collaborated with the Indigenous Law and Justice Hub to deliver a community legal education program on the 2023 Referendum.
Working with legal experts and in consultation with the Hub, a twenty-minute presentation was developed with the primary goal being to assist the community to have culturally-safe and accurate conversations with friends, family and colleagues prior to the Referendum.
Following content and cultural safety training, MLS students have spent the past six weeks in the lead up to the Referendum going out into the community to deliver sessions organised in conjunction with schools, workplaces, and local councils.
These sessions have provided community attendees with a “crash course” in constitutional law concepts, allowing them to understand what the Referendum is all about. Student facilitators explain the proposed constitutional amendment and step the audience through an explanation of why the country is being asked to vote on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament this year. Audience members are also able to ask questions and allowing facilitators to play a valuable role in correcting factual inaccuracies.
The slide taken from the presentation informs the audience of the fact that despite the AEC publishing and disseminating the pamphlets outlining the “Yes” and “No” cases, to every household, these pamphlets are not fact-checked. This is just one example of the work of the group has done to de-mystify the process.
Maggie Blanden and Keshi Moore who are the Indigenous students co-ordinating the program say that it was a lack of culturally-safe and Indigenous-led information being circulated at MLS that inspired them to consider how law students could play a role in these conversations. Keshi Moore emphasised the ‘privilege’ of Juris Doctor students D students at the #1 law school in the country and the need to use this platform and knowledge for community legal education.
This slide allows the audience to consider the objectives of the proposed amendment in a more digestible manner. By explaining how the proposed amendment would enshrine in the constitution an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice which may make representations, this proposed body is offered a level of security. Importantly, students explain that this voice does not have the power to create laws, and it is parliament that will retain the law-making functions about the composition and powers of the body. The amendment will also recognise the 65,000 year history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives, histories and truths.
Audrey Fitzgerald a second year student, decided to get involved in the project because she felt the “Voice referendum is an extremely important event in Australia’s history” and could see “Confusion and misinformation” were weaponised in the debate. Audrey passionately believes “it is important that people are educated about what the voice means for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as non-indigenous peoples”.
Watch the information session here.
More than fifty sessions have been delivered by the group throughout Australia by the group in the lead up to the referendum, reaching voters from all walks of life. The students are grateful for the support of Dr Eddie Cubillo, Professor Cheryl Saunders, Tim Goodwin and Karrina Power. This program is made possible through their time and expertise, alongside the dedicated group of student volunteers.
Some of the Naarm Law Students on Voice in their custom t-shirts.