Media Release: Wednesday 3 June
Uncle Robbie Thorpe Continues Fight to Expose Genocide Against First Peoples in the Supreme Court
Media opportunity:
What: Aboriginal elder Djuran Bunjileenee Uncle Robbie Thorpe’s King Charles III
Aboriginal Genocide Case to be heard in the Supreme Court of Appeal
When: 10am Wednesday 3 June
Where: Supreme Court of Victoria, 459 Lonsdale St, Melbourne, Kulin Land.
10am: Uncle Robbie Thorpe - Krauatatungulung Elder, will be joined by supporters for a smoking ceremony and public statement on this historic day of the King Charles Aboriginal Genocide Case being heard in the Supreme Court of Appeal on Mabo Day.
10.45am: Aboriginal Genocide Case Hearing in Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria
Livestream: https://www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au/daily-hearing-list/live-streams
Krauatatungalung elder Djuran Bunjileenee - Uncle Robbie Thorpe is continuing his decades-long campaign to seek justice for the genocide committed against the Aboriginal Peoples of this continent. An appeal connected to proposed charges involving King Charles III will be heard in the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal today.
“Genocide is a crime, not just globally, but right here in our backyard. If we are serious about stopping genocide around the world, we must start by eradicating it here in so-called Australia. This nation cannot claim to be civilised if it allows genocide to continue unchecked, generation after generation” Uncle Robbie says.
Uncle Robbie acknowledges the significance of the hearing falling on Mabo Day. 3 June
marks the 34th anniversary of the historic 1992 High Court of Australia ruling in Mabo v
Queensland, which overturned the legal fiction of terra nullius.
“We all know what terra nullius means. It is actually an act of premeditated genocide. Captain Cook was given specific instructions to get consent from Aboriginal people, but he never did. Cook claimed it was empty land. Ultimately the responsibility lies with the British Crown.” says Uncle Robbie.
“It is a continuing act of genocide until they get consent, until they get treaties,” Thorpe said.
The case is intended to seek accountability for continuing colonial violence against Aboriginal people and to advance recognition of Aboriginal justice and sovereignty.
In December 2023 the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria decided not to issue proceedings in
respect of an attempted private prosecution against King Charles III.
Uncle Robbie Thorpe called for a judicial review and a Supreme Court hearing was held on 19 July 2024, where Uncle Robbie Thorpe addressed the court for over two hours, placing
extensive evidence on the official record regarding the violent dispossession, ongoing
colonisation and genocidal treatment of First Peoples throughout the region now referred to as Victoria.
The matter centred on allegations of genocide against the First Peoples of Victoria and sought to bring charges under First Peoples’ sovereign law, Victorian common law and division 268 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth).
Victorian Supreme Court Justice Melinda Richards delivered her findings on 5 February 2025 and ultimately ruled that the proceedings could not be issued. Her findings confirmed that Victorian courts do not recognise First Peoples’ sovereign law, while genocide under the Genocide Convention had not historically been incorporated into Australian common law. The ruling also confirmed that prosecutions under division 268 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code require the consent of the federal attorney-general before proceedings can commence.
The appeal raises issues concerning:
● ongoing genocide against First Peoples,
● sovereignty and unceded Aboriginal land,
● the application of international genocide law in Australia, and
● whether senior Crown representatives can be subject to prosecution.
About Uncle Robbie Thorpe
Djuran Bunjileenee - Uncle Robbie Thorpe is a prominent Krautatungalung Elder, actively
demanding justice for Aboriginal Peoples. His advocacy highlights the necessity for
accountability in Australia’s legal system, exposing the ongoing impacts of genocide and
challenging colonial structures worldwide.
For comment, please contact: Djuran Bunjileenee Uncle Robbie Thorpe: 0422 200 696
For Media enquiries: 0415 656 403 & [email protected]
Further details of the case can be found here: https://crimesceneaustralia.com/
Contact details:
Uncle Robbie Thorpe: 0422 200 696
0415 656 403 & [email protected]
