by Dwight Newman, MMNN Contributor

OTTAWA – A series of court decisions have steadily expanded the legal rights of Aboriginal groups in recent years but these unprecedented victories are unlikely to continue indefinitely, according to a new report from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute analysing recent court cases.

The report, authored by MLI Senior Fellow Dwight Newman, warns Aboriginal groups against becoming overly-invested in using the courts to win more concessions rather than using their new position to negotiate deals with governments and resource companies.

“Important decisions in support of Aboriginal and treaty rights have been welcome responses to past and present wrongs”, Newman writes. “However, at a policy and strategic level, the pursuit of some claims through the courts can have unexpected – and negative – outcomes”.

“Is The Sky The Limit? Following the trajectory of Aboriginal legal rights in natural resource development” analyses the recent history of court decisions on Aboriginal rights, particularly focusing on the last five years.

To read the full paper, go here: http://www.macdonaldlaurier.ca/files/pdf/MLIAboriginalResourcesNo7-06-15-WebReady-V3.pdf.

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