00:00Scenes of chaos in Alice Springs, prompting two government-imposed curfews this year.
00:07I think they need to get over themselves.
00:09But many Indigenous leaders are concerned the fighting is being blamed on cultural payback.
00:14What I see play out in Alice Springs isn't payback, it's a dispute that actually needs to be resolved.
00:23Payback is just one aspect of cultural law which sees impacted parties meet after an incident.
00:29It aims to restore balance and prevent revenge attacks.
00:33Physical punishment is one option.
00:36Other consequences include banishment from community.
00:39Whatever the outcome, traditional law dictates that payback only be carried out under the authority of senior lawmen and women.
00:48But there is concern that customary law is widely misunderstood.
00:52There's a misrepresentation of Aboriginal law as if it's just violent or brutish.
00:58Some leaders claim a return to traditional justice could even prevent some of the fighting seen in Alice Springs.
01:05But others say payback no longer has a place in today's world.
01:09Violence should be unacceptable in any form whatsoever and therefore there has to be other ways forward.
01:16Some Aboriginal justice advocates say while cultural law is based on good principles,
01:21only restoration of cultural authority can ensure lasting peace.
01:26So I think we need to really go full throttle forward and start looking at how the justice system reflects a community.
01:38Calls to rethink justice in a changing world.
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