The Mabo decision was a landmark ruling by the High Court of Australia in 1992 that recognized the land rights of the Torres Strait Islanders and overturned the legal doctrine of terra nullius, which claimed that Australia was uninhabited before European settlement. This decision acknowledged the traditional land ownership of Indigenous Australians and affirmed their connection to the land. The case was brought by Eddie Mabo, a Torres Strait Islander, who sought recognition of his people's land rights. The ruling paved the way for the establishment of the Native Title Act in 1993, allowing Indigenous Australians to claim rights to land based on their traditional laws and customs.