National Indigenous Legal Advocacy Courses

Certificate IV in National Indigenous Legal Advocacy
– Course 39103QLD

Participants

The Certificate IV in National Indigenous Legal Advocacy is intended to address the training needs of Indigenous peoples who have some (but limited) experience working in a legal environment. The course is specifically designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal Field Officers (or Legal Advocates) who are engaged in field work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services.

It is also designed to meet the needs of Indigenous peoples with some experience working in Indigenous community organisations, Government departments / agencies relating to juvenile justice, corrective services or care and protection, or participating in Indigenous community justice mechanisms and in other similar roles.

Skills and outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will have demonstrated that they are able to work with limited supervision to:

• support clients in maintaining the importance of land and culture;
• advise on provisions of a range of law enforcement legislation;
• manage ethical responsibilities in the legal system;
• report on legal issues;
• provide advice and advocacy for clients;
• support clients in arrest, bail, court and detention situations;
• manage conflict;
• conduct research in response to requests; and
• develop community networks.

Course outline

In undertaking the course, students will learn about:

• basic legal principles relating to negligence and tortious liability;
• anti-discrimination and human rights legislation;
• making bail applications and assisting an arrested client;
• legal research skills;
• the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and Bringing them home report;
• native title, land rights and protection of Indigenous culture;
• history and ongoing impact of colonisation; and
• computer skills such as creating and maintaining databases and spreadsheets.

Students can also choose from electives on mental health and disability, finance administration, interpreting, care and protection and family violence issues.

To be awarded the Certificate IV, students must complete 19 compulsory units (6 of which are also included in the Certificate III course) and an additional 2 electives. There is provision in the course for trainers to recognise student’s prior learning for any unit. There is also provision in the course for students to undertake a vocational training placement (of 70 hours). The course structure is contained in the tables below.

1) Compulsory units of competency – each of these units are compulsory

2) Elective units of competency – students must complete 2 from this table

This fact sheet is also available for download in PDF and Word formats.

© Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. Last Updated: 5 September 2003.