CCPR/C/137/D/3585/2019
United Nations
International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights
Distr.: General
13 March 2024
Original: English
Human Rights Committee
Views adopted by the Committee under article 5 (4) of the
Optional Protocol, concerning communication
No. 3585/2019*, **, ***
Communication submitted by:
Ailsa Roy (represented by counsel, Scott Calnan)
Alleged victims:
The author and the other members of the Wunna
Nyiyaparli Indigenous People
State party:
Australia
Date of communication:
2 April 2019 (initial submission)
Document references:
Decision taken pursuant to rule 92 of the
Committee’s rules of procedure, transmitted to
the State party on 9 April 2019 (not issued in
document form)
Date of adoption of Views:
15 March 2023
Subject matter:
Effective participation of Indigenous Peoples in
the mechanism for the determination of their
rights to traditional territory
Procedural issue:
Substantiation of claims
Substantive issues:
Determination of Indigenous Peoples’ right to
traditional territory; discrimination; fair trial
Articles of the Covenant:
1, 2 (3), 14 (1), 26, 27
Article of the Optional Protocol:
3
1.1
The author of the communication is Ailsa Roy, an elder member of the Wunna
Nyiyaparli, an Indigenous People from Australia comprising approximately 200 persons,
with custodial responsibilities in relation to the traditional lands, territories and resources of
the Wunna Nyiyaparli.1 She claims that the State party has violated the rights of the Wunna
Nyiyaparli under articles 2 (3), 14 (1), 26 and 27 of the Covenant, read in the light of article 1.
* Adopted by the Committee at its 137th session (27 February–24 March 2023).
** The following members of the Committee participated in the examination of the communication:
Tania María Abdo Rocholl, Farid Ahmadov, Wafaa Ashraf Moharram Bassim, Rodrigo A. Carazo,
Yvonne Donders, Mahjoub El Haiba, Carlos Gómez Martínez, Laurence R. Helfer, Marcia V.J. Kran,
Bacre Waly Ndiaye, Hernán Quezada Cabrera, José Manuel Santos Pais, Soh Changrok, Tijana
Šurlan, Kobauyah Tchamdja Kpatcha, Teraya Koji, Hélène Tigroudja and Imeru Tamerat Yigezu.
*** An individual opinion by Committee member Carlos Gómez Martínez (dissenting) is annexed to the
present Views.
1 Through a power of attorney, the members of the community designated Ms. Roy as their
representative before the Committee.
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