Indigenous Peoples, Customary Law and Human Rights – Why Living Law Matters

Indigenous Peoples, Customary Law and Human Rights – Why Living Law Matters PDF

Author: Brendan Tobin

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-08-27

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 1317697545

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This highly original work demonstrates the fundamental role of customary law for the realization of Indigenous peoples’ human rights and for sound national and international legal governance. The book reviews the legal status of customary law and its relationship with positive and natural law from the time of Plato up to the present. It examines its growing recognition in constitutional and international law and its dependence on and at times strained relationship with human rights law. The author analyzes the role of customary law in tribal, national and international governance of Indigenous peoples’ lands, resources and cultural heritage. He explores the challenges and opportunities for its recognition by courts and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including issues of proof of law and conflicts between customary practices and human rights. He throws light on the richness inherent in legal diversity and key principles of customary law and their influence in legal practice and on emerging notions of intercultural equity and justice. He concludes that Indigenous peoples’ rights to their customary legal regimes and states’ obligations to respect and recognize customary law, in order to secure their human rights, are principles of international customary law, and as such binding on all states. At a time when the self-determination, land, resources and cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples are increasingly under threat, this accessible book presents the key issues for both legal and non-legal scholars, practitioners, students of human rights and environmental justice, and Indigenous peoples themselves.

Traditional, National, and International Law and Indigenous Communities

Traditional, National, and International Law and Indigenous Communities PDF

Author: Marianne O. Nielsen

Publisher: University of Arizona Press

Published: 2020-05-05

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 0816540411

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This volume of the Indigenous Justice series explores the global effects of marginalizing Indigenous law. The essays in this book argue that European-based law has been used to force Indigenous peoples to assimilate, has politically disenfranchised Indigenous communities, and has destroyed traditional Indigenous social institutions. European-based law not only has been used as a tool to infringe upon Indigenous human rights, it also has been used throughout global history to justify environmental injustices, treaty breaking, and massacres. The research in this volume focuses on the resurgence of traditional law, tribal–state relations in the United States, laws that have impacted Native American women, laws that have failed to protect Indigenous sacred sites, the effect of international conventions on domestic laws, and the role of community justice organizations in operationalizing international law. While all of these issues are rooted in colonization, Indigenous peoples are using their own solutions to demonstrate the resilience, persistence, and innovation of their communities. With chapters focusing on the use and misuse of law as it pertains to Indigenous peoples in North America, Latin America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, this book offers a wide scope of global injustice. Despite proof of oppressive legal practices concerning Indigenous peoples worldwide, this book also provides hope for amelioration of colonial consequences.

Indigenous Peoples' Land Rights under International Law

Indigenous Peoples' Land Rights under International Law PDF

Author: Jérémie Gilbert

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2016-07-08

Total Pages: 349

ISBN-13: 9004323252

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This book addresses the right of indigenous peoples to live, own and use their traditional territories, and analyses how international law addresses this. Through its meticulous examination of the interaction between international law and indigenous peoples’ land rights, the work explores several burning issues such as collective rights, self-determination, property rights, cultural rights and restitution of land. It delves into the notion of past violations and the role of international law in providing for remedies, reparation and restitution. It also argues that there is a new phase in the relationship between States, indigenous peoples and private actors, such as corporations, in the making of territorial agreements.

Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Constitutions Assessment Tool

Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Constitutions Assessment Tool PDF

Author: Amanda Cats-Baril

Publisher: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)

Published: 2020-08-09

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 9176713245

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The Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Constitutions Assessment Tool helps users to analyse a constitution from the perspective of indigenous peoples’ rights. Using a series of questions, short explanations and example provisions from constitutions around the world, the Assessment Tool guides its users through the text of a constitution and allows for systematic analysis of the language and provisions of a constitutional text to assess how robustly indigenous peoples’ rights are reflected in it. A constitution articulates a vision that reflects a state’s values and history, as well as its aspirational objectives for the future. As the supreme law of a state, the constitution defines its structure and institutions, distributes political power, and recognizes and protects fundamental rights, critically determining the relationship between citizens and governments. Embedding in a constitution recognition of and rights-based protections for specific groups, such as indigenous peoples, can give these groups and their rights enhanced protection. This can be furthered by providing for specialized institutions and processes to deepen the realization of those rights in practice.

Transforming Law and Institution

Transforming Law and Institution PDF

Author: Rhiannon Morgan

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-02-24

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 1317007565

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In the past thirty or so years, discussions of the status and rights of indigenous peoples have come to the forefront of the United Nations human rights agenda. During this period, indigenous peoples have emerged as legitimate subjects of international law with rights to exist as distinct peoples. At the same time, we have witnessed the establishment of a number of UN fora and mechanisms on indigenous issues, including the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, all pointing to the importance that the UN has come to place on the promotion and protection of indigenous peoples' rights. Morgan describes, analyses, and evaluates the efforts of the global indigenous movement to engender changes in UN discourse and international law on indigenous peoples' rights and to bring about certain institutional developments reflective of a heightened international concern. By the same token, focusing on the interaction of the global indigenous movement with the UN system, this book examines the reverse influence, that is, the ways in which interacting with the UN system has influenced the claims, tactical repertoires, and organizational structures of the movement.

International Law and Indigenous Peoples

International Law and Indigenous Peoples PDF

Author: Joshua Castellino

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2005-03-01

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13: 9047407326

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This volume highlights those instances in the work of international organizations where advances have been made concerning indigenous rights. It also devotes attention to the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and to a number of thematic issues in the field. The human rights situations facing indigenous peoples in Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria and South Africa are dealt with in separate chapters.

The Recognition of Aboriginal Customary Laws

The Recognition of Aboriginal Customary Laws PDF

Author: Australia. Law Reform Commission

Publisher: Australian Government Publishing Service

Published: 1986

Total Pages: 556

ISBN-13:

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Detailed examination of the scope for recognition of customary laws through existing common law rules; human rights and problems of relativity of standards; contact experience; constitutional aspects; marriage and family structures; recognition of traditional marriage; protection and distribution of property; child custody, fostering and adoption; the criminal justice system; customary law offences; police investigation and interrogation; issues of evidence and procedure including unsworn statements, juries and interpreters; proof of customary law including scope of expert evidence; taking of evidence including group evidence, secrecy and privileged communications; customary methods of dispute settlement; special Aboriginal courts and justice schemes; relations with police; traditional hunting, fishing and gathering practices; relevant case law and legislation considered throughout.

Indigenous Rights in Scandinavia

Indigenous Rights in Scandinavia PDF

Author: Christina Allard

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-05-23

Total Pages: 242

ISBN-13: 131711728X

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This book contributes to the international debate on Indigenous Peoples Law, containing both in-depth research of Scandinavian historical and legal contexts with respect to the Sami and demonstrating current stances in Sami Law research. In addition to chapters by well-known Scandinavian experts, the collection also comments on the legal situation in Norway, Sweden and Finland in relation to other jurisdictions and indigenous peoples, in particular with experiences and developments in Canada and New Zealand. The book displays the current research frontier among the Scandinavian countries, what the present-day issues are and how the nation states have responded so far to claims of Sami rights. The study sheds light on the contrasts between the three countries on the one hand, and between Scandinavia, Canada and New Zealand on the other, showing that although there are obvious differences, for instance related to colonisation and present legal solutions, there are also shared experiences among the indigenous peoples and the States. Filling a gap in an under-researched area of Sami rights, this book will be a valuable resource for academics, researchers and policy-makers with an interest in Indigenous Peoples Law and comparative research.

Indigenous Peoples' Cultural Heritage

Indigenous Peoples' Cultural Heritage PDF

Author: Alexandra Xanthaki

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2017-10-20

Total Pages: 359

ISBN-13: 9004342192

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Indigenous rights to heritage have only recently become the subject of academic scholarship. This collection aims to fill that gap by offering the fruits of a unique conference on this topic organised by the University of Lapland with the help of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The conference made clear that important information on Indigenous cultural heritage has remained unexplored or has not been adequately linked with specific actors (such as WIPO) or specific issues (such as free, prior and informed consent). Indigenous leaders explained the impact that disrespect of their cultural heritage has had on their identity, well-being and development. Experts in social sciences explained the intricacies of indigenous cultural heritage. Human rights scholars talked about the inability of current international law to fully address the injustices towards indigenous communities. Representatives of International organisations discussed new positive developments. This wealth of experiences, materials, ideas and knowledge is contained in this important volume.

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