04 NEWS
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 10 2015
Linguist targets legal language clarity
A CENTRAL
Australian
researcher has begun work on
a project to help indigenous
people better understand
Australian law.
Charles Darwin University’s Northern Institute linguist
Dr Samantha Disbray said the
project was called the “Language and the Law Project”.
It aims to help Aboriginal
speakers of three distinct
Central Australian languages
understand legal terms and
their implications. “The legal
system is fertile ground for
controversy about words and
their meanings, and who
understands what in the
context of criminal trials and
other legal interactions,” Dr
Disbray said.
“For example, in Aboriginal
varieties of English the word
‘guilty’ can be an expression of
remorse, or it can indicate
legally established culpability.
“And the word ‘to kill’ can
mean committing a violent act
that results in a death, but is
also a synonym for ‘hit’ or
‘beat’.”
Dr Disbray said the
research project would inform
the legal profession and justice
system about “what could be
done” to resolve some of the
misunderstandings relating to
the language and the law.
Dr Disbray said the project
could improve social equity in
the Northern Territory.
Dr Samantha Disbray.
Seeking
right note
with flock
Hannah Muir
A FRESH face has arrived in
Alice Springs to strike a new
chord at the Flynn Memorial
Church.
Dr Steve Bevis will be commissioned as the Uniting
Church’s new minister in a
special service at the Todd
Mall church on Sunday, February 15 at 4pm.
Dr Bevis has moved from
Newcastle, NSW, with his wife
and daughter, and is determined to soak up information
and culture during his time as
minister of the congregation.
“We are hoping to come
and be part of things and do
what we can to learn a bit of
language,” he said.
Dr Bevis is also a talented
singer, guitarist and songwriter.
“Being a musician I’m hoping this place can ... in time
become a place of creativity.”
Both Dr Bevis and his wife
have an extensive academic
background, which they plan
on transferring to their work in
Alice Springs.
“The academic thing is to
learn the lay of the land about
culture and the way Aboriginal
culture interfaces or doesn’t
with mainstream Australian
culture at this point in time,”
he said.
“Here at the church we’re
hoping we can be part of a
conversation about what’s life
giving, what are ways forward,
how can we support that, how
can we learn from that.
“We are here to learn not
just from indigenous people
but non-indigenous people.”
Political
upheaval
causing
angst in
schools
Felicity Forth
POLITICAL turmoil has resulted in the Northern Territory having its third education
minister in three months, causing concern among parents
and teachers.
Member for Araluen Robyn
Lambley was last week
dumped from Cabinet, just
weeks after being handed the
important portfolio.
Australian
Education
Union NT president Jarvis
Ryan said the instability was
not good for schools.
“This is just more turmoil
and instability, with education
being treated like a political
football,” he said.
“The schools will go on the
best they can, but in this environment of political chaos it’s
hard to be sure that there will
be policies (put into effect) that
will benefit schools.”
Mr Ryan was concerned
that John Elferink’s apparent
appointment would also be
short-term.
“At least he has held it (the
ministerial position) before,
but we are told that this is in-
terim and that there will be another cabinet reshuffle,” Mr
Ryan said.
“It is unlikely the government will be able to give the
education reforms the attention to detail required to be
done properly with all this political instability.”
Braitling Primary School
council chairwoman Amanda
Salter said budget cuts were a
bigger problem than ministerial changes.
“With the global budget
changes we’ve lost almost all
our tutors and some teaching
staff,” she said.
“Most of the losses were tutors – they were our backbone,
helping in the smaller groups.
“We have had to restructure
our programs so the teachers
can work with larger groups
because of this.”
Ms Slater said she was
hopeful that having a new education minister might be a
good thing.
“They may have some fresh
ideas and help us adapt to all
these changes,” she said.
Mr Elferink was unavailable
to comment.
Bag a ticket for NRL
New minister at the Flynn Memorial Church, Dr Steve Bevis.
Picture: JUSTIN BRIERTY
THERE are still some prime
seats available in the grandstand to watch the Parramatta
Eels and Wests Tigers NRL
trial game on Friday.
Tickets are available from
Sports Power, Hot Stuff for the
Sporting Buff and Intersport
Alice Springs. Gates open 5pm
and 2014 Central Australian
Rugby League grand finalists
Vikings and West meet from
5.30pm. The main game begins
at 7.40pm.
my team
MY TERRITORY
PARRAMATTA
WESTS
EELS vs TIGERS
FRIDAY 13TH FEBRUARY 2015
ANZAC OVAL, ALICE SPRINGS
GATES OPEN: 5:00pm CURTAIN RAISER: 5:30pm MAIN GAME KICK OFF: 7:40pm
Tickets available from Sports Power, Hot Stuff 4 the Sporting Buff and Intersport Alice Springs
PARRAEELS.COM.AU |
FACEBOOK.COM/THEPARRAEELS |
@THE PARRAEELS |
@THEPARRAEELS
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