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.
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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.