Jewish legal team set to represent Aboriginal women
MICHELLE COLEMAN
A JEWISH legal team will represent the Aboriginal women at the centre of last month’s Northern Territory race row.
Sydney barrister and president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies David Knoll and human rights lawyer George Newhouse will represent the women when they take their claim to the NT Anti-Discrimination Commission or the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission later this month.
The Aboriginal women had travelled about 300 kilometres from Yuendumu to Alice Springs to attend life-saving classes before the opening of a local swimming pool.
However, shortly after checking in at the Haven Backpacker Resort, they were allegedly asked to leave because of their Aboriginality.
Newhouse said that after he heard about the incident, he contacted the women and offered to assist.
Newhouse asked Knoll to join him because of his experience with discrimination cases, particularly with members of the Australian Sudanese community.
He said he did not believe that the indigenous group at the centre of the dispute was aware of his Jewish identity and that his hailing from a minority had nothing to do with the appointment of his or Knoll’s services.
“I think they chose me because I had experience working with indigenous communities and in anti-discrimination claims.”
The group’s claim is currently being collated by the lawyers and will then be lodged with the NT Anti-Discrimination Commission.
http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=5212
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