Aboriginal Customary Law

What is Aboriginal customary law primarily based on?

• Written statutes

• Kinship and oral traditions

• English legal principles

• International law

How was Aboriginal customary law typically passed down before European settlement?

• Written documents

• Oral law and customs

• Parliamentary records

• Court rulings

What did early European colonists incorrectly believe about Aboriginal societies?

• They had no laws.

• They had written legal codes.

• They were governed by British law.

• They had prisons and police.

Who were the primary enforcers of Aboriginal customary law?

Who were the traditional law enforcers in Aboriginal communities?

• Police

• Elders

• Judges

• Magistrates

What was one possible consequence for breaking Aboriginal law?

• Monetary fine

• Imprisonment

• Public service

• Banishment from the group

Which of the following was a key feature of Aboriginal customary law?

• A) Written codes of conduct

• B) Formal courts and parliaments

• C) Kinship ties and cultural obligations

• D) Police and prisons

What was one major cultural misunderstanding between Aboriginal law and British law?

• The British did not understand the concept of kinship.

• The British wanted to preserve Aboriginal laws.

• Aboriginal law was written, while British law was oral.

• The British respected Aboriginal customary law.

When Captain Cook arrived in Australia, what claim did he make regarding the land?

• That the land was already inhabited.

• That the land belonged to the Aboriginal people.

• That the land was uninhabited and could be claimed for Britain.

• That the land should be shared between the British and Aboriginal people.

What legal action did Eddie Mabo take in the 1980s?

• He challenged the validity of British colonial law.

• He claimed that Aboriginal customary law should replace Australian law.

• He sought compensation for the loss of traditional lands.

• He contested the idea that Australia was terra nullius.