Kennedy, Gordon

Gordon is a recognised expert in the area of native title and has been involved in some of the most significant native title claims to date on behalf of a range of governments and industry groups, including commercial fishers, pastoralists, miners, local governments and, most recently, the Commonwealth government. These include Yarmirr, Risk, Gumana, Akiba, and the Timber Creek compensation matter.

He has also been involved in various administrative law litigation involving Indigenous issues, including native title issues and land rights legislation.

In private practice, he acted for business and industry groups on native title and Indigenous-related issues, including negotiating Indigenous Land Use Agreements and mining agreements with Aboriginal people, and provided extensive advice to mining industries on a range of environmental and other statutory compliance regimes for mining and exploration activities.

Recent experience

Gordon’s recent experience includes:

• being involved in a number of native title claims which went on appeal to the High Court, including the hearing of the Timber Creek compensation claim in the Northern Territory, regarded as the first test case for native title claims for compensation
• acting for various commercial fishing and mining interests in respect of their participation in the hearing of land claims before the Aboriginal Land Commissioner under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cth), and various administrative law challenges made as to the operation of that Act, including in the High Court (Risk v Northern Territory)
• representing the relevant Commonwealth Minister in an administrative law proceeding in respect of the nomination of a radioactive waste management facility in the Northern Territory.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Laws, Northern Territory University 1992