Randal Ross on state government crime advisory panel as links to sovereign citizen ideologies revealed

A man touted as an “Indigenous leader from Townsville” on the state government’s legal expert advisory panel tasked with the job of advising the LNP an adult crime, adult time legislation has links to sovereign citizen ideologies.

Randal Ross. Picture: Alix Sweeney

A man touted as an “Indigenous leader from Townsville” on the state government’s legal expert advisory panel tasked with the job of advising the LNP an adult crime, adult time legislation has links to sovereign citizen ideologies.

Randal Ross was named alongside four other people to advise the government, including April Freeman KC, Lyndy Atkinson, Douglas Wilson, and Robert Weir, and was described as the “former CEO of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service, who has experience delivering programs for youth at Cleveland Youth Detention Centre”.

“The panel members are all highly skilled and experienced professionals in the areas of legal practice, law enforcement, victim support and public policy,” Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber said at the time.

It is understood the panel were appointed after an expression of interest process conducted by the Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support and were further assessed by senior public servants.

However, Aboriginal elders in the region hold fears about any decision made on adult time, adult crime legislation that involves Ross, who provided a blanket “no comment” response to this article, due to his alignment with sovereign citizen ideas.

Posts on Facebook show Ross, and his wife Meagan, involved with groups and people who claim to be sovereign citizens.

Sovereign citizen status' showing involvement from Randal Ross.

Sovereign citizen status' showing involvement from Randal Ross.

One status Ross is tagged in saying a group had met with Townsville police to inform them of their “sovereign status”, and another suggests their “sovereign rights” supersede Commonwealth law.

The posts are connected to the Netat Ad Tribal Confederation, which is a group that supports people who want to “assert their rights” under Tribal Lore, Allodial Title and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People 2007.

The group says they exist to help Tribal Nations gain a better understanding of their sovereign rights.

In a video shot in 2019, Ross, referred to as the Yuru (Juru) Foreign Minister Wobana Banbari, says that when former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd signed the United Nations declaration gave “full authority” back to Indigenous people.

“It is time that we wake everybody up, our ancestors have been waiting for us to realign everything,” he said.

Ross said the Netat Ad Tribal Confederation was a sign that people were “together” and being supported.

A spokesman for Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support Laura Gerber said the panel had already delivered recommendations to expand adult crime, adult time legislation. 

Originally published as Randal Ross on state government crime advisory panel as links to sovereign citizen ideologies revealed