The latest issue of law&history vol.5:1 (2018) has Tim Rowse considering the moral position of the colonial Native Police and legal historians illuminating issues of importance in colonial and imperial history:  the ownership of mapping knowledge (Isabella Alexander), the outlawing of witchcraft in Africa and the Caribbean (Danielle Boaz), contradictions in the policy of Aboriginal governance (Ann Hunter) , and the Australian High Court’s unprecedented deportation of Pacific Islanders on the basis of race (Peter Prince).

In an unusual form of presentation, Australian historians and legal academics acknowledge the 180th anniversary of the Myall Creek massacre in New South Wales  with Ann Curthoys leading a forum discussion on its significance and meaning as genocide with contributions from former Senior Crown prosecutor Mark Tedeschi, criminologist Jennifer Balint and international lawyer Daniel Joyce.

Once again we are pleased to publish the winner of the Francis Forbes Society for Australian Legal History prize for the best paper presented by an early-career researcher or postgraduate student at the annual Law and History conference. We appreciate the support of the Francis Forbes Society for this important encouragement of junior researchers.