Kevin Smith is President of the National Native Title Tribunal (NNTT), appointed in 2023 as the first First Nations person to lead the organisation. He is a Torres Strait Islander with traditional ties to Ugar (Stephen Island). In his role at the NNTT, Smith oversees core tribunal functions, including arbitration, mediation and agreement-making assistance in complex native title matters across Australia.
Smith has more than 30 years’ experience in native title law and Indigenous advocacy. From 2008 to 2023, he was CEO of Queensland South Native Title Services (QSNTS), where he guided the organisation through 29 native title determinations, commencing with the historic Quandamooka people’s native title recognition, the first determination in Southern Queensland. Under his leadership, QSNTS played a key role in securing legal recognition and land rights for multiple Indigenous communities.
Smith’s extensive experience and leadership continue to shape native title processes and support Indigenous self-determination across Australia.
"Native title is where ancient, yet vibrant traditional laws and customs of our First Nations meet the comparatively modern Australian legal system to create a third unique intercultural space – one that is complex and evolving with as many big challenges to overcome as there are seeds of opportunity waiting to germinate. I have the privilege of working in this space daily and not one day is the same, but each is as rewarding as the next."
