The Wik judgment, by overturning paternalistic notions of aborigines' status, may force Australia to try a new approach.

ECONOMIST: The aboriginal patterns that haunt Australia | The

Mr Howard's battle to sell his Wik solution could be a tough one.

ECONOMIST: Australia

The court decided by a narrow majority in favour of the Wik people: that pastoral leases and native title could co-exist.

ECONOMIST: The aboriginal patterns that haunt Australia | The

But Mr Howard's attempt to tighten the law in the wake of Wik has provoked the most impassioned debate on race that Australia has seen.

ECONOMIST: Australia

The Wik judgment has thrown the issue wide open again.

ECONOMIST: The aboriginal patterns that haunt Australia | The

The spark was lit by the High Court within days of Mr Djerrkura's appointment in December, when it ruled on a case brought by the Wik people of north Queensland.

ECONOMIST: The aboriginal patterns that haunt Australia | The

With the Wik judgment, it extended those rights to pastoral lands as well, but qualified them by saying that pastoral rights would prevail over native-title rights if there were a conflict.

ECONOMIST: Australia

The spark for the dispute was a judgment by Australia's High Court last December, on a case brought by the Wik people of north Queensland, that pastoral leases and native title could coexist.

ECONOMIST: Australia