Work Of Committee Research Articles

Infrastructuring Readability: Framing and Overflowing in Writing Assistant Software for Biomedical Research Informed Consent Forms

This article analyzes the development process of a software solution designed to assist researchers in writing biomedical research–informed consent forms. Funded by a Swiss ethics committee, the purpose of the software is to enhance the readability of such documents to improve biomedical research participants’ understanding of the information disclosed therein and to reduce the editing work of research ethics committees. Drawing on an embedded ethnographic research, we show how concerns that emerge in ethics reviews shape ethics committee IT infrastructure and how, in turn, this infrastructure contributes to redefining research ethics. We demonstrate that while the software reinforces the biomedical framing of research ethics, it also generates unexpected overflows. By forming new collectives, this infrastructuring process furthers expertise on informed consent forms while giving rise to new areas of inquiry and redefining the issue of readability in biomedical research. Thus, we provide insights into the complex entanglements between research ethic, computer programs, and writing practices. We conclude by reflecting on the role played by our research team during the software's development and outline proposals on how ethnographic methods can contribute to make research ethics review accountable.

Restriction of Passive Suffrage in the Legislation of the Russian Federation

Introduction. Suffrage is one of the most frequently reformed areas of the national legislation of the Russian Federation. Permanent law making activity and its further interpretation in the frame of law enforcement practices of holding the elections to public authorities not only fail to resolve the disputable issues, but arise the new ones referring to the electoral system regulation. The most important objective in the present day studies of the passive suffrage is to identify the legal collisions and make proposals for filling in the legal gaps encountered by the law enforcers in the context of the tasks set forth before them, i.e. to ensure implementation of the passive suffrage of the candidates. Nowadays, the need to carry out the legal analysis of the impact imposed by the conceptual legislative innovations on using the right to passive suffrage has become evident. The aim of this paper is to analyse the existing restrictions of passive suffrage, as well as to study the eligibility and limits of these restrictions.Materials and Methods. In the article, the recently published works of native scientists, the mass media materials, federal legislation, decisions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation in the studied area, the regulatory legal acts adopted by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, as well as the results of the work of the election commissions have been analysed. The study was based on such commonly accepted methods of scientific cognition as the dialectical and dogmatic-legal methods, as well as the methods of analysis, synthesis, induction and deduction.Results. The issues of legitimacy of establishing the additional restrictions to the rights of citizens have been investigated. The conclusion has been made not only of great importance to protect the human rights and freedoms, but of urgent need to comply with the legal restrictions of these rights. The concepts of restrictions and violations of the human and civil rights and freedoms have been differentiated, and the statutory expression of the suffrage restrictions has been analysed. Except for the constitutional provisions (legal capability and criminal record), the content of the additional restrictions introduced at the federal level and referring to the age, residence qualification, presence or absence of a criminal record of committed crimes and torts of extremism has also been disclosed.Discussion and Conclusion. The essence of the passive suffrage restrictions implies imposing the certain requirements and conditions on a person for him to acquire the eligibility to stand as a candidate in the elections to the public authorities. The system of suffrage restrictions is designed to ensure the high-quality of formation, complete functionality and professionalism of the elected authorities and officials, however could also become a tool for fighting against the opposition.

‘For the Betterment of the Industry’: The establishment and work of the White Fish Commission, 1936–1939

Between the wars, the British fishing industry faced an invidious economic climate. Costs rose, over-fishing and falling prices depressed incomes, and structural faults that had mattered little in the years of growth prior to 1914 became serious handicaps. Government was thus obliged to intervene in a small but strategically important industry to a far greater extent than before, and did so in ways that reflected the broader thrust of interwar industrial policy. The Herring Industry Board has been well studied but the short-lived parallel body established to develop the bulk of the sea-fishing industry, the White Fish Commission, is all but forgotten, perhaps unsurprisingly since it did not even publish a report before it was suspended on the outbreak of the Second World War. This article surveys the situation facing the fishing industry between the wars and examines in detail the establishment of the White Fish Commission and its activities during its short life. It argues that, while the commission’s powers and resources were insufficient for the scale of its task, it laid the groundwork for much further-reaching intervention in the changed climate after 1945.

Включенность некоммерческих организаций и объединений в деятельность общественных комиссий при главных бюро медико-социальной экспертизы в субъектах Российской Федерации

The system of medical and social expertise in Russia is three years old. Involvement of public and the non-profit sector have resulted in a significant number of representatives of specialized non-profit organizations in public commissions under the chief bureaus of sociomedical assessment. Patient-oriented non-profit organizations introduce new guidelines into the system, e.g., a more rapid adjustment of medical and social expertise to the needs of the target group. Nevertheless, the quality and accessibility of sociomedical assessment services remain a prospective research field. The article describes the involvement of non-profit organizations and associations in the activities of public commissions under the chief bureaus of medical and social assessment. The research was part of the project on Public participation in improving the sociomedical assessment in the Russian Federation: involvement, development, and monitoring. The research data were obtained from structured interviews with representatives of public commissions at the chief bureaus of sociomedical assessment and focus group interviews. Two groups included 12–15 representatives of patient non-profit organizations involved in public commissions. The resulting analysis of the composition of public commissions for 2018–2022 revealed the following facts. Patient non-profit organizations were the most significant group among public commissions are representatives of patient non-profit organizations (34.1%). Representatives of the chief bureaus of sociomedical assessment tended to leave: 12% in 2018 and 4% in 2022. The wide representation of non-profit organizations indicated the public orientation of the commissions. The most active participants were those non-profit organizations that consulted citizens, thus improving the effectiveness of the commissions. The factors that affected the activity of public commissions were connected with their employees, i.e., their awareness, goal understanding, motivation for public work, involvement, and workflow management. Patient non-profit organizations participated in the work of public commissions in following types: presence, representation, and goal achievement. The current development vector is the shift to the type of goal achievement.

НЕКОТОРЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ПРАВОСЛАВНЫХ СВЯЩЕННОСЛУЖИТЕЛЕЙ В ОБЩЕСТВЕННЫХ НАБЛЮДАТЕЛЬНЫХ КОМИССИЯХ ПО ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЮ ПРАВА НА СВОБОДУ ВЕРОИСПОВЕДАНИЯ ПОДСЛЕДСТВЕННЫХ И ОСУЖДЕННЫХ

On January 26, 2024, within the framework of the XXXII International Christmas Educational Readings «Orthodoxy and Domestic Culture: losses and gains of the past, the image of the future», the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation held a round table hearing on the topic «Participation of clergy in the work of public monitoring commissions (ONCS) on public control over ensuring human rights in places of forced detention». The trends of changes in the legal status of the clergy in the penal enforcement system of the Russian Federation are revealed. The main directions and forms of participation of the clergy in the realization of the right of persons under investigation and convicted to freedom of conscience and religion are considered. The report pays special attention to the analysis of the main problems in the implementation of this right in pre-trial detention facilities. Proposals have been made to improve legal regulation and law enforcement practice in the field of interaction between institutions and bodies of the penal enforcement system with traditional centralized religious organizations in Russia

The Role of Working Commission Transactions in Afghanistan's Legal System

A commission agent is an individual who conducts business transactions in their own name on behalf of the transaction owner, earning a fee for their services. This contractual arrangement between the transaction owner and the commission agent is referred to as a working commission. It is important to differentiate working commission from representation and advocacy; in traditional representation or advocacy, the representative or advocate acts on behalf of the principal or client, whereas a commission agent often conceals the identity of their principal. Consequently, the party involved in the transaction may only recognize the commission agent’s right and not the identity of the principal. This research highlights the significance of working commission transactions within the Afghan legal framework by thoroughly examining their legal implications. The importance of this discussion is paramount, as it addresses a critical issue impacting Afghan society. The objectives of this research can be viewed from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Theoretically, the primary aim is to expand the academic understanding of commission transactions. Practically, the research seeks to analyze the position of commission work within Afghanistan's legal system, which constitutes a fundamental legal concern. The investigation was conducted using library resources and existing legal texts from Afghanistan. Insights and definitions pertaining to this topic were derived from relevant books and legal documents. Through this research, I have concluded that a commission agent is a businessman who operates in their own name while acting on behalf of others. In this context, entities that establish and manage property dealer offices serve as pertinent examples of working commission practices.

Facilitating digitisation and reformatting via committee work

The Reformatting Committee at Brigham Young University Library actively manages and facilitates the digitisation of library materials, playing a pivotal role in advancing larger digitisation projects. The committee comprises various stakeholders in the digitisation and reformatting workflow, each with unique concerns and requirements, allowing the committee to effectively navigate the complexities of the digitisation process. This paper discusses the motivations for the committee’s formation, explains its documentation and describes the benefits gained. As this paper explains, the Reformatting Committee exemplifies a balanced approach to meeting various stakeholders’ expectations and building bridges between departments, thereby advancing the library’s mission in the context of the digital era. The paper also explains that stakeholder involvement is crucial, that the structure of the committee enables improved communication and workflow, and, although not all challenges may be anticipated in projects, that the committee is set up to work together to resolve them. The paper concludes that institutions with a history of siloing in their digitisation and reformatting work should consider adopting a similar model, in order to break down such barriers and facilitate communication and collaboration, thus improving the efficiency of digitisation and reformatting projects.

An open chat with… Johannes Herrmann.

Johannes Herrmann is a Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany. His research focus is centred on the biogenesis of mitochondrial proteins. Johannes is a member of the German Academy of Sciences and member of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) Biochemistry Panel. He has been a member of the FEBS Publication Committee since 2021. In this interview, he explains the source of his scientific interest in mitochondrial biology and details how the work of the FEBS Publication Committee safeguards the future of the FEBS Press journals.

Village Self-Government in the Period 1944-1955 in an Anthropological Perspective: The Example of the Village of Dobri Do

Rural self-government is an insufficiently researched topic in domestic and foreign anthropological literature. What is more, the extent to which archives of local self-government bodies can be useful as sources for anthropological research has not been sufficiently studied. For this reason, an attempt was made to provide a contribution to a better understanding of these scientific issues on the example of the village of Dobri Do in the vicinity of Pirot, and on the basis of material in the Historical Archive of Pirot that refers to the work of the Local People's Committee in this village. The period after the Second World War was chosen, due to the state of the materials in the archival collections and the fact that the period was marked by numerous processes that highlighted scientific problems more clearly. It started from the assumption that the local self-government, as a mediator between the rural community and state authorities, was primarily directed towards protecting the interests of the rural community itself. The analysis showed that MNO archives can be very useful sources, and that they can be combined with classical anthropological research methods (participant observation, interview, biographical method). Nevertheless, a critical attitude must be taken towards this archival material, because it is incomplete, insufficiently conscientiously collected and organized. Based on the available material, it is possible to see many questions that have not been raised so far about the relationship between the local community and state institutions. Further research will show to what extent it is possible to improve the use of this material within ethnological and anthropological research.

Research Ethics: Ideas and Practices of Russian Young Scientists

Scientists’ misconduct in their research activities is an important problem for science in many countries, including Russia. It leads to negative consequences both for the quality of scientific knowledge obtained and for the reputation of researchers and scientific organizations. However, there is still a small number of empirical studies of this problem in Russia. This work is based on a survey method to explore the ideas of young scientists from all federal districts of Russia about research ethics and the situations of ethical dilemmas that they encounter in their work. In accordance with the chosen theoretical framework: ideas about ethics as an action that is situational by nature, determined by sustainable practices and patterns, the survey was conducted in two stages: an open question about situations of ethical choice in research activities, on the basis of which a detailed questionnaire was then created. As a result, it was revealed that the vast majority of young scientists are faced with situations of violation of ethical standards both in scientific publications and communications, and in the processes of organizing research work. Violations of research procedures, data manipulation, falsification of research results – this is a set of violations in the organization of research that almost three-quarters of respondents encountered themselves or heard about such situations from colleagues. However, there are gaps in consensus about the sources of knowledge about ethics and a lack of institutional practices to prevent violations such as the work of ethics committees or ethical standards.

Tobacco Industry Engagement in the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee E-cigarettes Inquiry

Background: A now extensive literature has documented political strategies of healthharming industries (HHIs), but little is known about their engagement with Parliamentary select committees. Recent investments by trans-national tobacco corporations (TTCs) in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) has raised concerns that industry actors may be using these to re-engage policymakers in ways precluded by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 5.3. Methods: This article examines tobacco industry engagement with the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (STC) inquiry into electronic cigarettes. It draws on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with committee members and support staff (n=4) triangulated against written and oral evidence submissions. Results: TTCs featured prominently in the STC inquiry via written and oral submissions. Opportunities existed for industry engagement, and potential influence, at each stage of the process. There was an absence of oral testimony from those sceptical about the potential health benefits of ENDS. The governance mechanisms in place for select committees appear inadequate for protecting committee work from industry influence. As it relates to TTCs, this has implications for the UK’s commitments under FCTC Article 5.3, yet understanding of the FCTC and the requirements of Article 5.3 compliance within the committee were limited. Conclusion: The governance of select committees requires urgent reform in order to balance norms of openness and participation with the need to protect their work from power of economic actors with conflicts of interest. This is particularly the case in relation to TTCs and adherence to FCTC Article 5.3. These findings are of relevance to other select committees whose work affects the interests of HHIs. Further research is needed on other committees and sectors.

Promoting resilience in Finland: built environment professionals’ perspectives

ABSTRACT The built environment and various ongoing crises, e.g. climate change, the biodiversity crisis, and declining well-being due to the pandemic, are interconnected. Resilience of the built environment has become increasingly important and construction professionals have a focal role in promoting it. This paper investigates the opportunities that professionals possess to introduce key aspects of resilience in building projects in their everyday practice in Finland. Six targeted focus group interviews for Finnish city planners, housing specialists, housing developers, housing architects, public building and landscape architects, and sustainability specialists were organized, encompassing 32 different professionals. A crisis preparedness checklist was developed and used as a concretization of resilience. Findings show that (1) currently all Finnish built environment professionals, except housing architects, are able to integrate some aspects of resilience in their current work; (2) aspects of resilience should be introduced to building projects and processes in their early stages; (3) all key aspects of resilience cannot be introduced by one profession; (4) interdisciplinary committee work and resulting information products by the Finnish Building Information Foundation provide a feasible opportunity for collaboration and integration of resilience to Finnish building projects and processes. This study highlights the need for dynamic built environment professionals’ engagement.

Gender Equality in Oil Palm Plantations: A Study on The Role of Gender Committees

The oil palm plantation industry is inseparable from the involvement of women as an important part of clearing land, conducting oil palm nurseries, planting seedlings, fertilizing, and spraying. Given this, it was suggested by the management of a company in the industry to form a gender committee. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with informants and key informants by purposive sampling, field observations, and focus group discussions. This study aim ed to explore the gender committee in palm oil companies and the mechanisms for its formation, the work function of the gender committee in relation to gender equality, and the implementation of the gender committee work program. The results found that the gender committee was formed through a decision letter from management with a structure that varies according to the needs of the company but the management was based on appointment. There is no gender committee; it can be seen from the work programs that have been carried out or will be carried out only in the form of routines such as meetings and monthly meetings whose discussions are not about evaluating work programs. Keywords: Gender Equality; Gender Committee; Women Workers; Oil Palm Plantations.

Gender and legislative committees in Africa: a study of Rwanda and South Africa

ABSTRACT Are female legislators treated equally in comparison to their male peers in the organisation of parliamentary committees? This study investigates the dynamics of legislative committee assignments in Rwanda and South Africa. We analyze data on 1257 committee appointments across two legislative terms from 2010 to 2023. Despite comparable educational and professional backgrounds between male and female parliamentarians, our findings highlight the persistent influence of gender on the organisation of legislative committees. Specifically, women are significantly more likely to be assigned to committees that are stereotypically considered feminine and of lower prestige. By shedding light on these patterns, this nuanced research contributes to our understanding of how work in legislative committees is influenced by gender roles.

MANAJEMEN PEMASARAN PENDIDIKAN: MENINJAU PROSES PROMOSI LEMBAGA SMP IT DARUL MUTA’ALLIMIN MEULABOH

SMP IT Darul Muta'allimin, as a new institution, can attract public interest by enrolling their children in this school. Since 2017, the first year of the establishment until 2023, SMP IT Darul Muta'alimin has had an increasing number of students. The article aims to describe how SMPT IT Darul Muta'alimin carries out the institutional promotion process. This study used qualitative methods, including interviews, observation, and documentation data collection techniques. The subjects in this study were the head, Vice Principal of public relations, Vice Principal of student affairs, two teachers and five students. Analytical techniques use qualitative analysis techniques. The results showed that promotional activities began with the planning stages of institutional promotion carried out through committee work meetings that discussed the type of promotion, the amount of costs and the target area of education promotion. Education promotion activities are carried out in several forms: 1) visits to elementary schools / MIN, 2) distribution of brochures and installation of banners, 3) digital promotion through social media, 4) holding school events, 5) public relations activities, and 6) word of mouth promotion. Furthermore, promotional activities are evaluated through evaluation meetings. In the evaluation process, the team looked at the level of success achieved and the shortcomings of educational promotion activities. The lack of education promotion this year is an input for the next period of promotional activities

Tensions in Finland’s ex ante constitutional review: The interplay of politics, law, and media

Abstract Constitutional review has become increasingly subject to heated political debates and struggles. While the constitutionality of laws is often reviewed after the laws have entered into force (ex post), this article examines an ex ante constitutional review assessing the political tensions and struggles typical of it. We examine the Finnish experience, drawing on forty-nine semi-structured interviews among key actors involved in the work of the Constitutional Law Committee (CLC) of the Finnish Parliament, which controls the constitutionality of laws before they enter into force. We find that tensions between law and politics are an important element of the ex ante constitutional review and show how they emerge in the work of the CLC and how the key actors involved in the review seek to control and manage them. We also suggest that the political tensions surrounding the ex ante review have intensified in recent decades and find three main reasons for this development. First, as constitutional and human rights have found their way into an increasingly wide range of political matters, political tensions in constitutional assessment have been aggravated. Second, external legal experts have begun to play a more prominent and public role in the review process, adding to the public tensions relating to constitutional interpretation. Third, the media and journalists have become increasingly interested in constitutional questions, which further inflames tensions. As a result, we suggest that scholars should increasingly explore and make transparent these de facto practices in constitutional review.

Kebijakan Pendidikan Pemerintahan Orde Lama Serta Pengaruhnya terhadap Pendidikan Islam di Indonesia

This paper discusses the education policies of the Old Order government and their influence on Islamic education in Indonesia. This paper aims to find out in depth about the Old Order government, the education policies of the Old Order government and the influence of Old Order education policies on Islamic education in Indonesia. During the Old Order era, Islamic education began to be fought for reform with the publication of various policies regarding the improvement of Islamic education, including compulsory Madrasah Learning (MWB). Indonesia became independent from Dutch colonial rule on August 17, 1945. The period of President Soekarno's reign, which spanned from 1945 to 1966, was referred to as the Old Order to differentiate it from the subsequent Order led by President Soeharto. In particular, the Old Order government's policy of paying attention to Islamic boarding schools and madrasas only began when the Central Indonesian National Committee Working Body (BP KNIP) 22 on December 27 1945 submitted recommendations to the government. The aim of this research is to understand the concept of government during the Old Order, and its influence on education in Indonesia. The research method used is a basic theory method that uses data from materials that are library research, where the author reads and studies books or literature related to the problem being studied. Regardless of the aspect The positive and negative sides of all the policies issued, it can be said that the development of madrasas is a brave effort by Islamic education to maintain its existence and identity while metamorphosing with the times.

EVIDENTIARY STANDARDS OF THE UN COMPENSATION COMMISSION: TAKEAWAYS FOR UKRAINE

Background: According to international law, a state responsible for internationally wrongful acts is obliged to fully compensate for the damage caused by such acts (Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, Art. 31). Accordingly, victims who suffered losses as a result of such actions are entitled to compensation. To implement these fundamental principles, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe established the Register of Damages Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. It is just the first of three elements of the future compensation mechanism for Ukraine (the other two, yet to be created, are the compensation commission and the compensation fund). However, to get compensation, every victim of the war will have to prove his or her case before the future commission. In this regard, the evidentiary standards will become critical. To understand how future compensation mechanism for Ukraine could operate, it is useful to study the practice of similar institutions. The UN Compensation Commission deserves special attention, as it could provide valuable insights into how war-related damage must be proven to warrant compensation. Methods: The article’s primary purpose is to explore the approach adopted by the UN Compensation Commission with respect to evidentiary standards. To this end, the article will first outline the general framework of the Commission's work, its purpose and organisational structure. It is then necessary to describe the categories of claims reviewed by the Commission, since - as will be shown later - the Commission applied a diversified approach: different categories of claims were subject to different evidentiary standards with varying degrees of exactingness. This differentiation was necessitated by the prioritisation of claims and the use of an expedited procedure for reviewing first-priority claims. This main part of the study will focus on the Commission's documents that illustrate its approach to evidentiary standards. First, the three evidentiary standards applied by the Commission will be outlined and explained: proving the incident alone with no need to establish the extent of the damage; proving damage on the basis of a "reasonable minimum" of evidence appropriate in the circumstances; and proving damage on the basis of documentary and other evidence sufficient to establish the extent of the damage. The article will then analyse how these three standards were applied in practice to the selected categories of personal injury claims. Finally, the conclusions will consider what takeaways can be drawn from the Commission's case law for the Ukrainian case. Results and Conclusions: In times of armed conflict and occupation, gathering evidence of harm is notably challenging for victims due to various reasons. This fact calls for special consideration from international compensation mechanisms, which cannot adhere to the rigid formalities used in regular court proceedings. That is why the international law of evidence is adaptable and seeks to adjust to claimants' unique situations. This adaptability is exemplified by the relaxed and diversified standards of proof utilised by the UN Compensation Commission. Diversifying the standards of proof in the practice of the UN Compensation Commission consisted of applying three different approaches to different categories of claims. In addition, the burden placed on claimants was eased by presumptions developed in the Commission's case law. The pioneering approaches of the UN Compensation Commission should be applied and refined within an international compensation mechanism for Ukraine. This entails prioritising individual claims, introducing both regular and expedited tracks for processing claims, and ensuring flexibility with regard to the burden of proof and evidentiary standards to accommodate the challenges of wartime evidence collection without overwhelming victims.

Relational gatekeeper behaviour of HR managers in the Middle East: the role of informal networks

Wasta, the informal network context omnipresent in the Middle East, is widespread in human resource management (HRM) practices. Yet, its influence on the behaviour of HR managers has not been explored. Utilizing relational gatekeeping theory and the informal network perspective in conjunction with in-depth expert interviews with HR managers, we seek to explore whether and how informal networks (wasta) influence and shape their role in an Arab Middle Eastern context. Our findings indicate that the level of wasta penetration in organizations is reliant on the relational gatekeeping behaviours of HR managers. Furthermore, we show how HR managers compensate for structural deficiencies by leveraging their wasta-derived power to amplify their voices. Nevertheless, the findings also emphasize the significance of power sharing in reducing the expansion of culturally derived power associated with wasta, thereby limiting power dynamics and authority to that derived from the formal organizational hierarchy. These insights advance knowledge on gatekeeping behaviour in the Arab Middle Eastern context and contribute new knowledge regarding the operational modes of informal networks within organizations. Our findings underscore the pivotal role that HR managers play in shaping the organizational culture. From a practical perspective, we offer actionable solutions, such as power sharing through committee work, to enhance the effectiveness of the HR function.

Aboriginal Self‐determination, Land Rights, and Recognition in the Whitlam Era: Laying Groundwork for Power Sharing and Representation

The Whitlam Labor government (1972–75) is remembered for ushering in a new era in Indigenous affairs, with the move to “self‐determination”, abandoning the longstanding insistence on “assimilation”. The new government intended to deploy the Commonwealth's new legislative power established in the 1967 constitutional referendum to bring in a range of reforms, responding to consistent demands from Indigenous leaders, activists, and supporters through the previous decade. Whitlam's campaign speech promised anti‐discrimination legislation, provisions to allow Aboriginal communities to incorporate, and legislation of a system of land tenure. The government faced considerable political obstacles, ultimately curbing the ambitious reform agenda. Nevertheless, these initial efforts to conceptualise representation, recognition, and compensation laid important foundations for the current public debate about “Voice, Treaty, Truth”, following the Uluru Statement from the Heart. This paper explores self‐determination through the path‐breaking work of the Woodward Aboriginal Land Rights Commission and the establishment of well‐resourced land councils as authoritative and legitimate representatives of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. The Whitlam government's willingness to experiment with power‐sharing in the sensitive area of land ownership provided a valuable prototype for genuine engagement with First Nations people today, as Australia contemplates the failure of the constitutional referendum around a Voice to parliament.