Five months later, on 3 June 1992, the High Court overturned the legal doctrine of "terra nullius" - which was the term applied to the attitude of the British Empire towards land ownership on the continent of Australia. That decision is now commonly called "Mabo v Queensland" in Australia and is widely recognised for its importance. Later in 1992, Mabo was awarded the Australian Human Rights Medal for his work over many years to gain legal recognition for indigenous people's rights.