Aboriginal legal aid ‘not fit for purpose’

By ERWIN CHLANDA

The troubled Northern Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA), which also services Central Australia and claims to be "back on track", has only one of the 17 full time lawyers required for regular operations and only three short term lawyers on call.

This is disclosed by NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash who say in a media release the information comes from the Attorney-General’s Department.

They say NAAJA is not fit for purpose as “75 Aboriginal Australians have been left to face local courts without representation since November 20 last year, 21 of whom have been remanded.

“Officials also revealed that core services are still months away from operating at the required level, with youth services resuming on March 1 and adult services to be gradually phased in from April 1,” says Senator Price.

Senator Cash says: “It is unbelievable that the situation was allowed to become this desperate. The warning signs were there, and they were ignored.”

IMAGE from the NAAJA website: 10 women graduated from the month-long Kunga Stopping Violence Program at the Alice Springs Correctional Centre in October last year.