The Benefits

Cultural parents and their child/ children are not unduly exposed to inappropriate disclosure that the practice has occurred and any associated trauma or grief is avoidable.

Cultural parents and their child/children can be legally enrolled/registered with authentic identification documents.

Cultural parents assurance that their child/children are legally recognised with all the same rights as a biological child/children.

Streamlined Cultural Recognition Order Applications

Through the Office of the Commissioner (Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa), Torres Strait Island people can complete and submit an either a child or adult cultural recognition order application seeking to change the legal identity of a person subject to the application. Some of the benefits of a granted Cultural Recognition Order include:

  • Elimination of legal obstacles for cultural families.
  • Recognition of the parental rights and responsibilities of cultural parents raising children.
  • Legal registration of cultural children in the name of their cultural parents.
  • Reduction of generational trauma through inappropriate revelations of the practice.

We are pleased to announce a single application for a child or adult cultural recognition order. The new application has been streamlined through colour coding the sections for a child or adult application, and Yumplatok (or Torres Strait Creole) has been included throughout to make it easier to read and understand thereby making the form a more culturally responsive document.

By streamlining the application process and making it more accessible, we aim to support more families in having their traditional practices recognised and upheld. This not only strengthens the cultural identity of individuals but also reinforces the community’s trust in government and the legal system.