First Nations roundtable to focus on providing evidence
The First Nations Evidence Roundtable – Voices, Evidence and Justice exploring First Nations perspectives and experiences in providing evidence in climate, human rights and native title litigation will be held during NAIDOC Week 2026.
The event, hosted by the QUT Centre for Justice and QUT Faculty of Business and Law, in partnership with the Queensland Law Reform Commission, will be held on July 6 at QUT Gardens Point campus.
The roundtable will bring together First Nations leaders, legal practitioners, academics and policy makers to consider the importance of First Nations knowledge, lived experience and practical outcomes associated with providing evidence in litigation.
The discussion will be facilitated by Francis Nona of QUT with closing remarks by Avelina Tarrago, QLRC Commissioner.
Ms Tarrago is a Wangkamahdla woman from central-west Queensland and a barrister with a practice focused on inquests and inquiries, health, regulatory and administrative law jurisdictions.
She previously had a 17-year career as a Government Legal Officer. In 2014, she completed an Indigenous Fellowship with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, and in 2023, was appointed to the Board of Legal Aid Queensland.
Key speakers
Mr Nona is a proud descendant of the Dhoebaw clan of Saibai Island. He is a registered nurse with extensive experience across clinical practice, community health, and academia.
He has previously served as the director of an Indigenous community-controlled health service and worked as a lecturer and researcher with the QUT Carumba Institute before joining QUT’s School of Medicine.
Dr Ivan Ingram is a Wiradjuri and Filipino legal practitioner and academic from Parkes, now based in Brisbane. He holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Applied Science from QUT, and a Doctor of Juridical Science from the University of Arizona.
Indigenous governance
Dr Ingram specialises in native title, Indigenous governance, human rights, and truth-telling. He is Managing Director of Regional Economic Solutions and an academic at QUT, teaching First Nations legal histories and legal realities. Previously, he served on Queensland’s Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry and was the first Indigenous person appointed as a Judicial Registrar with the Federal Court of Australia.
Cassie Lang is a leading legal practitioner specialising in Indigenous governance, native title, and cultural heritage. She is consistently recognised in Chambers and Partners and Doyle’s Guide for her expertise in native title and First Nations legal matters.
As a Principal and Co-Founder of Parallax Legal, a 100 per cent Indigenous-owned law firm, she advises traditional owners, corporations, and government on governance frameworks, economic development, and rights-based legal structures that support self-determination and long-term sustainability.
