Indigenous Reconciliation Strategy

Indigenous Reconciliation Strategy

As the peak association for solicitors in NSW, the Law Society is dedicated to working for a just and fair legal system, having served the community for over 125 years. We are currently developing a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) that is appropriate for our organisation, after more than a decade of targeted reconciliation strategic work. Our Indigenous Reconciliation Strategic Plan for 2019-2022 was an integrated part of the organisation's core business. This plan sat alongside the Law Society’s 2019-2022 Strategic Plan. Our new RAP will also be an integrated part of the Law Society’s organisational strategy, and will build on past work.

The Law Society acknowledges that there is an unacceptable gap in life expectancy between the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia and other Australians. We believe that closing the gap is of critical importance both for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and for the well-being of our nation. Reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians is both necessary for closing the gap and for the well-being of Australia as a nation. The Law Society is committed to addressing the determinants of this gap in life expectancy that are within its sphere of influence.

We are privileged to have taken part in Reconciliation Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan program. The Law Society made and maintained many new relationships, which has enabled more informed work in Indigenous affairs. This is particularly so in the Law Society’s advocacy for the protection and promotion of the rights of Indigenous people in NSW, and in providing opportunities for the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait individuals and communities to be heard by governments and other institutions.

Objectives of the forthcoming RAP

The Law Society’s new RAP will reflect the four broad objectives that has informed our past reconciliation work. The commitments made in respect of these objectives aim to both build on existing work; and to deepen the Law Society’s commitment to better outcomes for Indigenous people, within the legal profession and in the wider community.

  1. Engage in effective advocacy, in order to work for better outcomes for Indigenous peoples in NSW, in and through the legal system, and in respect of developing and maintaining the Law Society’s relationships with stakeholders in Indigenous affairs.
  2. Improve cultural competency and awareness within the Law Society and in the legal profession.
  3. Create and provide opportunities for Indigenous law students; lawyers; non-lawyers working in the legal context; and Indigenous enterprise.
  4. Undertake effective reporting and compliance management.