Mabo Decision

The Mabo Decision, handed down by the High Court of Australia in 1992, recognized the land rights of Indigenous Australians, specifically the Meriam people of the Torres Strait Islands. It overturned the legal doctrine of "terra nullius," which claimed Australia was unoccupied before European settlement. The ruling acknowledged that Indigenous people had a pre-existing connection to the land. This landmark decision paved the way for land rights claims and significantly changed the legal landscape regarding Indigenous land ownership and recognition in Australia, promoting justice and reconciliation.