Land Claims Tribunal Legislation Becomes Law

Land Claims Tribunal Legislation Becomes Law

Friday, October 17, 2008 at 14:17

The federal government’s new Specific Claims Tribunal Act officially came into force yesterday.

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine says his group advocated for specific claims reform for many years and had a key role in shelving the previous Act, which the organization felt was fundamentally flawed.

According to Fontaine, the new Act — which creates an independent tribunal — was the result of a collaborative effort between the Conservative government and First Nations.

In addition to the new legislation, a companion political agreement has established a joint committee between the AFN and the federal government to deal with other important issues relating to the resolution of outstanding specific claims.