A leading lawyer has hit back after she was accused of being racist for refusing to take part in a country recognition procedure at the Victorian Bar Council.
At meetings of the Victorian Bar Council, Chairperson Georgina Schoff recognizes the traditional owners of the land on which the meeting is held and pays her respects to elders past, present and emerging.
But at a recent meeting, lawyer Lana Collaris acknowledged all the Australians and then posted the minutes of the meeting on social media.
She was quickly met with a barrage of criticism, including being called “racist,” a “visitor,” and an “introduced species.”
Ms Collaris was also criticized by two of her Bar Council colleagues and was told by the Indigenous Justice Committee that she had brought the Victorian Bar into disrepute.
However, the criticized lawyer now defends himself and tells News from heaven She couldn’t tolerate it anymore.
“The reason I decided to recognize all Australians that day is because I had had enough of this implicit surrender of sovereignty before every meeting, before every Zoom meeting, before every time we land in a Qantas flight.
‘I had had enough and I just wanted to oppose it and exercise my right to free speech to do so.
A top lawyer has hit back after she was accused of being racist for refusing to take part in a welcome-to-country procedure at the Victorian Bar Council. Pictured is a smoking ceremony and welcome to the country ceremony.
‘It’s the constant repetition of this message that we are being given, that sovereignty does not exist within the Crown in some way, and that is what I have a problem with.
“It’s wrong both in law and in fact as well and that’s why I decided to take a stand.”
Collaris said the response he received online was not a surprise.
“I received quite predictable personal attacks towards me.
“And that’s what made me think, ‘I’m going to sit down and express my views clearly in writing,’ and that’s what I did.”
In that article, published by The Australianhe wrote that “recognitions of the country have nothing to do with respect, as most people would understand that word.”
“We show respect to indigenous Australians by celebrating their culture and language, valuing their historical knowledge and holding them to the same standards as all other Australians, not by making ubiquitous acknowledgments of country.”
The lawyer said the welcome-to-country ceremonies go against the “fundamental guiding principle of our current constitution (which) is the quality of citizenship.”
“If you’re going to take a different stance in making these repeated country acknowledgments, which repeatedly undermine that sovereignty, then I think Australians have an instinct and they know that something is not quite right and they understand that there is a political impetus behind it.
“As long as people continue to make political statements in recognition of country, I will continue to recognize all Australians, signaling my support for an Australia where we are all equal and subject to the same laws regardless of our race.”
But in a response to Ms. Collaris, also published in The AustralianVictorian Bar Council president Georgina Schoff wrote that the Bar had “long taken pride in its strong relationships with Indigenous members of our community”.
“The Victorian Bar is proud to have been the first Australian Bar to have a Reconciliation Action Plan,” he said.
“Recognizing the country is a commitment we have made in our Reconciliation Action Plan and has become an important and honored feature of the Victorian Bar’s functions.”
Lawyer Lana Collaris (pictured) acknowledged all the Australians and then posted the minutes of the meeting on social media.
However, Ms. Collaris received strong support in online forums.
“Pity in standing up for what is right draws so much criticism from those who hate Australia and what it stands for,” one wrote.
‘One country, one flag. The Australian national flag is for all Australians, not just a few,” said another.
A third wrote that ‘The majority has Lana Collaris’ support once again! And a government that won’t listen until the next election!’