Family of Indigenous Teen Denied Smoking Ceremony Inside Courtroom

 

The family of Jai Wright, a 16-year-old Indigenous boy who died during a police chase in Sydney, has been denied permission to hold a traditional smoking ceremony inside the courtroom during the trial of the officer accused of causing his death.

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Jai was riding a trail bike in Alexandria in February 2022 when it allegedly collided with an unmarked police car. He suffered devastating head injuries and died in hospital the following day. The officer, Sergeant Benedict Bryant, has since been charged with negligent and dangerous driving occasioning death. He has pleaded not guilty and faces a judge-only trial this week.

Jai’s grieving family wanted to honor him with a smoking ceremony, a sacred Indigenous tradition involving the burning of native plants to cleanse spirits, offer blessings, and provide healing. They asked that it be held inside the courtroom before the trial began, with about 100 supporters standing behind them.

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But late Friday, the request was denied. The family will be allowed to hold the ceremony, but only outside the courthouse.

Indigenous leader Warren Mundine told the Daily Telegraph that holding the ceremony inside could create a perception of bias.

“It has a perception of sympathy towards the victim and against the accused. The legal system can’t be seen to be biased or have a perception of bias,” Mundine said.

NSW Supreme Court Justice Anthony Whealy echoed that view, stating:

“It’s one thing to respect a person’s culture but we are confronting a criminal trial in all its seriousness, and a smoking ceremony doesn’t fit into that context at all.”

Bryant’s defense team also strongly opposed the idea, arguing it would unfairly elevate Jai’s status as a victim and undermine the court’s neutrality. Judge Stephen Hanley ultimately ruled against the request, citing both legal fairness and health and safety risks of conducting a smoking ceremony in an enclosed space.

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For Jai’s parents and community, the decision adds another layer of pain to an already heartbreaking fight for justice. To them, the smoking ceremony was not about bias, but about honoring their son in line with cultural tradition.

As the trial begins, the family will gather outside the courtroom to conduct the ritual a powerful reminder of the intersection between justice, culture, and grief in modern Australia.

What do you think should courts allow cultural traditions like smoking ceremonies inside, or does that risk undermining fairness in the justice system?

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