'Zero tolerance to racism' - building law teachers' anti-racism capacities
Jennifer Nielsen
Abstract
In January 2024, the Council of Australian Law Dean’s published its Statement on Racism in Australian Law Schools, endorsing the ‘Universities Australia, Indigenous Strategy 2022-2025 and its call for “zero tolerance to racism” in universities’ (CALD, 2024). Importantly, CALD also declared support for ‘Indigenous specific anti-racism strategies including an anti-racism statement and actions pursuant to eliminating discriminatory race-based practices’ and that work on anti-racism ‘be prioritised by law schools’ (CALD, 2024).
This signals that it is urgent that legal educators develop racial literacy - if we are true to our word that we intend to dislodge racial privilege and expose and remedy racial injustice, then we must act because we have an obligation to do this work. But are we ready? This paper aims to stimulate dialogue about the work to be done to deconstruct the racialized hegemony of Australian law schools and law.