Snapshot
- The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee has released the final report from its inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women and children.
- Over three years, the Committee conducted several hearings and received numerous submissions concerning the harrowing experiences of First Nations women and children in the Australian legal system.
- This article summarises the context and key findings of the inquiry and canvasses the political and public response.
TW: This article names First Nations people that are deceased.
On 16 August 2024, the final report of the national inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women and children (‘the Inquiry’) was tabled by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee (‘the Committee’) in the Australian Senate. The tabling of the final report concluded the Committee’s three-year investigation into the victimisation of First Nations women and children, during which it heard extensively from First Nations individuals, families and communities that have been gravely affected by the killings and disappearances of their loved ones. While the release of the final report was long anticipated, its recommendations have drawn criticism from some First Nations stakeholders and non-government senators. This article will analyse the Inquiry and its reception as the dust settles some two months since the publication of its final report.
