Peak legal bodies warn proposed Legal Aid NT service cuts will have dire impact on justice system

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The most powerful legal groups in the Northern Territory have signed a joint letter urging the government to address a major funding crisis at the NT Legal Aid Commission, which they say threatens to undermine the justice system.

Transcript

00:00A justice system under threat, fuelled by a funding crisis at the Territory's Legal

00:07Aid Commission.

00:08The heads of the NT's Bar Association, Law Society and Criminal Lawyers Association foreshadowing

00:15chaos in the courts if legal aid slashes critical services.

00:20In a joint letter to the NT Attorney General, they warned many defendants in the system

00:25will no longer have a lawyer.

00:28Procedures that take longer result in defendants being on remand for longer periods.

00:33Victims will also need to wait longer for justice and more defendants will be released

00:38on bail.

00:39Their urgent plea raising the alarm from international human rights groups.

00:44This is the first time I've ever seen anything like this where the system is going to shut

00:49down altogether.

00:50A potentially disturbing outcome for both defendants and victims left to navigate the

00:55halls of justice with little support.

00:58Court is very frightening for a lot of victims so having things drag out longer than what

01:04it already is because our court system is overloaded would be a significant impact on

01:09the wellbeing for victims.

01:11Also the prospect of being cross examined by an alleged offender representing themselves.

01:17That would be pretty harrowing to be face to face in the court when the person that

01:22has allegedly offended against you is asking you questions.

01:26Floating solutions to the crisis, the Territory's Attorney General suggested legal aid could

01:31access a pot of federal funding she says has been set aside for civil matters.

01:37Legal aid are sitting on $6 million worth of reserves from the Commonwealth funding

01:42which they may have an option to be able to use to fill the gap of the funding they have

01:47already used up.

01:48A spokesperson from the Federal Attorney General's Department would not comment on any unspent

01:53money but did say the Department was discussing the delivery of legal services with the NT

01:58Government.

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