The Wire

The British government could find itself forking out money for Australian indigenous people to buy back their land, if a group of Aboriginal activists succeed in launching an international court case. The fourth New Way summit, held in Melbourne over the weekend, encouraged Aboriginal people to go out and take possession of unoccupied and Crown lands and abandoned buildings, and defend their claims using an ancient British law. Michael Anderson is one of the original founders of the tent embassy in Canberra and is trained in European and indigenous law. He explained why the Doctrine of Discovery, part of the Papal Bulls of 1453 could be a much more effective than Mabo as a legal way to regain title to traditional lands .