Double degree – twice the horizon

Amos Taylor's interest in space law was first sparked back in 2023, when a film studies tutor mentioned having met a space lawyer.

This interest soon evolved into a career ambition for Taylor, a Gija/Jaru man, to become an Indigenous space lawyer. Then later to include air law.

Since then, Amos has recognised a major gap: the legal regimes that govern Sky Country – from the air around us up to the Kármán line and beyond into the vast celestial realm  – barely account for any Indigenous rights and/or interests.

“In overlooking these, Western air and space law overlook the deep astronomical knowledge held by the world’s First Astronomers,” he says.

“My Aboriginal Ancestors have shaped what I call my Ancestral Mandate – to become Australia’s first sky lawyer, advancing Indigenous rights and interests within two Western spheres of expansion: air law and space law, what mob call sky Country.”

What inspired you to do a double degree?

After completing Nura Gili’s Pre-Law program, I was offered the double degree pathway – and I loved the idea of not having to choose just one side of myself. My studies mirror the balance I navigate walking in two worlds – between systems and stories, analysis and expression.

What’s been the most rewarding part of studying two disciplines at once?

The most rewarding part of studying across Film Studies, Indigenous Studies and Law has been learning alongside students from three different disciplines. As a mature-age student, I’m especially proud to listen to, learn from and be inspired by the next generation of Australian leaders

How do you balance the workload, and mindset shifts between the two fields?

It’s what I describe as extreme multitasking – planning each trimester with structure, while giving myself permission to shift mindsets. Moving between Law and the Arts means moving between logic and imagination, so I try to be fully present in whichever space I’m in.

Can you share a highlight of your time at UNSW?

UNSW invited me as an Indigenous student representative to the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC) in Hawaii in 2024 – a life changing experience of learning and adventure (with a side trip to Jurassic Park)

Australia is early in our truth-telling journey. Indigenous students don’t just attend university – we transform it. The question isn’t whether you’re capable, but whether institutions and future generations are willing to listen and learn from you too.