Roles and Responsibilities 

  • The Aboriginal Justice Forum (AJF) brings together the most senior representatives of Victoria’s Aboriginal communities and the Justice, Human Services, Health and Education government portfolios in order to oversee the development, implementation, monitoring and direction of Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja.  
  • The Aboriginal Justice Caucus is made up of the Aboriginal community members of the Aboriginal Justice Forum. Members of the Aboriginal Justice Caucus are engaged in all justice agency working groups and project Committees to ensure Aboriginal input into all facets of Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja and its implementation.
  • The nine Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committees (RAJACs) are instrumental in developing and maintaining strong partnerships and plans between Aboriginal communities and justice agencies that are crucial to successfully implementing Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja across Victoria. 
  • Local Aboriginal Justice Action Committees (LAJACs) exist across Victoria to enable local justice issues to be identified and resolved locally. LAJACs promote Aboriginal participation in the design, development, implementation and evaluation of local justice initiatives, promote justice programs and services across Aboriginal communities, and provide local knowledge and advice to inform AJA related work.
  • The Koori Justice Unit (KJU) within the Department of Justice and Community Safety is responsible for coordinating the development and delivery of Aboriginal justice policies and programs across the Victorian Government and justice agencies. 

Partnership principles

The partners to Burra Lotjpa Dunguludja are committed to:

  1. Self‐determination for Aboriginal peoples.
  2. Developing long‐term sustainable relationships based on trust.
  3. Respecting Aboriginal knowledge, history, lived experience and connections to community and country.
  4. Shared responsibility and accountability for outcomes and actions.
  5. Redressing structures, relationships and outcomes that are unequal, racist and/or discriminatory.
  6. Recognising Aboriginal cultural rights, protocols, principles, ethics and standards.
  7. Working differently with Aboriginal peoples, recognising that mainstream approaches are frequently not the most appropriate or effective.
  8. Collaborating with community to co-design services to achieve collective impact. (Using a self-determination approach means that government does not have exclusive ownership of issues).
  9. Aim to improve long-term well-being for Aboriginal children, families and communities.
  10. The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Death's in Custody principles of arrest and imprisonment as sanctions of last resort.

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