Yanunijarra: native title judicial-review appeal reaches High Court hearing
Checked 12 November 2026. Procedural update: Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC & Ors v State of Western Australia, High Court matter P23/2026.
Appeal hearing recorded; no final outcome verified
The High Court’s case page records a Full Court hearing on 10 November 2026. Special leave was granted on 11 June and a notice of appeal is recorded on 25 June. The appeal concerns whether including an expedited-procedure statement in a native title future-act notice is open to judicial review. No final High Court judgment or dispositive orders were verified in the official material checked.
What is being challenged
The lower decision is Yanunijarra Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC v State of Western Australia [2026] FCAFC 7, dated 12 February 2026. The High Court’s November case summary explains that the applicants challenged the State’s inclusion of statements under s 29(7) of the Native Title Act 1993, rather than lodging objections in the National Native Title Tribunal. The dispute involves the relationship between that objection process and judicial review.
This is an appeal-status update, not a review of the complete lower-court judgment: full lower reasons could not be retrieved through the checked source. Submissions and case summaries are not judicial findings. A hearing entry is not a decision allowing or dismissing an appeal.
Practical significance — our assessment
PBCs and representative bodies receiving exploration notices should preserve the notice, service details, maps and response dates, and obtain timely assistance about the available processes. Do not assume that another organisation’s appeal pauses a notice or extends an objection period. Keep native title consultation and decision records distinct from ordinary corporate minutes.
General information only. NATSIC-AS provides professional advocacy, not legal advice or legal services.
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