He argued that a
Human Rights Act in Australia would need to contain a combination of citizenship rights (or general rights), which are accorded to all in society as well as specific Indigenous rights, such as rights to
land, to
practise culture, preservation of languages and protection of traditional knowledge and biodiversity.
The Commission seeks leave to submit that the provisions of the NTA which affect the concept (itself not statutory) of abandonment, the concept of traditional laws and customs, the requisite connection with the claimed
land or waters, the burden of proof in relation to cessation, and the role of oral testimony in native title claims, amongst others sub-sec 223 (1), must be construed consistently with
human rights standards relating to equality before the law [1], the rights of indigenous minorities to
practise and revitalise their culture [2], and freedom of religion [3].