Law Way® Sessions:

Law Way® Sessions is a series of conversations curated and hosted by Dr. Terri Janke. Dive into the latest insights from speakers with in-depth knowledge and expertise. Our sessions are designed to empower participants with the knowledge to make informed decision, tackle real-world challenges and address pressing issues with confidence. Elevate your legal knowledge with us.

Respecting Culture - Integrating ICIP into Indigenous Land Agreements

Country is culture, life, and identity for First Nations peoples. Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) encompasses many parts of Country, and as the world moves into an era of nature-focused projects, many initiatives are taking place directly on Country. It is vital to understand how to protect ICIP when working on these initiatives.

In this Law Way® session, join Senior Solicitor, Laura Melrose, who has extensive experience in Native Title, environmental law, and cultural heritage, to discuss this important topic. Attendees will learn about integrating ICIP in agreement making, such as Indigenous land use agreements and environmental sustainability and renewable energy projects. Attendees also will explore the intersection of ICIP with cultural heritage and native title in the evolving landscape of environmental law reform and the energy transition.

(Please note: this session will not go into detail on biodiversity or bush resource projects, or access and benefit-sharing agreements).

Who Should Attend?

Aboriginal Corporations, especially Land Councils and PBCs
Government departments and agencies that contract with First Nations businesses and groups
Private sector organisations working on land-based projects, including energy, construction, sustainable development.
Funding institutions and trust managers, especially those that prioritise CSR and ESG.
Universities and research organisations
Philanthropic sector
Charities and not-for-profits
Organisations and businesses working with Indigenous communities
Professionals who are interested in learning more about protecting cultural heritage and ICIP in western legal frameworks.

Your Law Way® Sessions presenters will be:

Dr Terri Janke, Solicitor Director (Facilitator) is a Wuthathi/Yadhaighana and Meriam woman and an international authority on Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), known for innovating pathways between the non-Indigenous business sector and Indigenous people in business. Terri advises on legal matters including intellectual property, business law, and governance of Indigenous organisations. She has written leading ICIP Protocols and models for various sectors including the arts, museums, archives, film and business. Terri is a co-author of the Australia’s State of the Environment Report, and the author of True Tracks: Respecting Indigenous Knowledge and Culture.

Laura Melrose, Senior Solicitor (Presenter) is a non-Indigenous lawyer at Terri Janke and Company. Her areas of specialty include Country-focused projects, ESG, Nature Positive work, Cultural Heritage, and Native Title. At Terri Janke and Company, she has worked on important projects such as the Dhawura Ngilan Business and Investor Initiative Guides for leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage management by the private sector, and produced a report for the Parliamentary Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000-year-old caves at Juukan Gorge, which contributed to the final Inquiry report, A Way Forward. She has also written several journal articles related to climate change, environmental human rights and Indigenous Ecological Knowledge.

For more information email tjc@terrijanke.com.au or call +61 2 9693 2577

Photo Credit: Stephen Wilson Barker