An 81-year-old Tasmanian Aboriginal elder says Australian courts hold no jurisdiction over Indigenous people and he will not participate in the court process after being charged at a native forest protest. Now a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
  • In short: Aboriginal elder Jim Everett-puralia meenamatta was arrested in March for protesting against native logging in Tasmania. He says he won’t recognise the “colonial” courts.
  • He bailed to appear on June 3, but a warrant was issued for his arrest on Monday after he failed to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court.
  • What’s next? Mr Everett says he expects to be arrested again, but he’ll have to be “pushed” into the court — where he intends to question its sovereignty over Aboriginal people.
  • AutoTL;DRBEnglish
    3•6 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    A Tasmanian Aboriginal elder says he has no intention of appearing in court — or participating in the “colonial” judicial system — on a charge of trespass for taking part in a protest against native forest logging.

    Mr Everett was arrested and charged on March 19 in a native forest coupe in the Styx Valley in southern Tasmania, and was bailed to appear on June 3; a hearing he did not attend.

    He does not intend to appeal against any sentence he receives — even if it results in a jail term — as he does not recognise any Australian court.

    The Styx Valley protest was part of the Bob Brown Foundation’s ongoing campaign against native logging across Tasmania.

    Veteran environmentalist and former federal Greens senator Bob Brown himself is among them, and will appear in court in July to contest his charge.

    Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre campaign manager Nala Mansell called on the charge against Mr Everett to be dropped.

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