The Mabo case was a landmark legal decision in Australia that recognized the land rights of the Torres Strait Islanders. It was named after Eddie Mabo, a Torres Strait Islander who challenged the concept of "terra nullius," which claimed that Australia was uninhabited before European settlement. The High Court of Australia ruled in 1992 that Indigenous Australians had a legal right to their land, leading to the acknowledgment of native title. This ruling significantly changed Australian law and society, affirming the importance of Indigenous land rights. The decision paved the way for the Native Title Act 1993, which established a framework for Indigenous Australians to claim land rights based on their traditional connections to the land.