Leonne Velickovic on behalf of Widji People/Western Australia/International Goldfields Ltd

Leonne Velickovic, on behalf of the Widji People, brought a case against the State of Western Australia and International Goldfields Ltd concerning a dispute about native title and the proposed grant of prospecting licences. The case was heard by the Federal Court of Australia. The Widji People sought to object to the grant of prospecting licences over their native title land, arguing that the mining activities proposed by International Goldfields Ltd would infringe upon their native title rights. The dispute also involved the procedural aspects of the objection application, including the public nature of the Tribunal’s proceedings and the confidentiality of certain information.

The central legal issues the court had to decide were whether the objection application was made within a reasonable time, the validity of the objection application, and whether the respondents had complied with the directions given by the court. Additionally, the court considered the established procedures for confidentiality (suppression) orders and the implications of the public nature of the Tribunal's proceedings on the confidentiality of certain information.

The court found that the objection application was not made within a reasonable time and that there had been a failure to comply with the court's directions. As a result, the objection application was dismissed. The court emphasised the importance of adhering to procedural requirements and timelines in such matters, particularly when dealing with native title claims and the proposed activities that may affect those claims. The court also noted that the objection application had not been made within a reasonable time and that the respondents had not complied with the directions, which were crucial factors in dismissing the objection.

The final orders of the court were that the objection application be dismissed and that the respondents be directed to pay the applicants' costs of the proceeding, which were assessed at $175,000. The court's decision underscored the significance of procedural adherence and timeliness in objection applications related to native title claims and the potential consequences of failing to comply with court directions.