NT Child Death Review and Protection Committee has not met in eight months

The body dedicated to reviewing child deaths in the NT has not met in eight months, with insiders accusing the Attorney-General of failing to act.

The Committee found the “Northern Territory presents significantly higher in all (child death) categories” across the nation.

The committee dedicated to preventing and reducing child deaths in the Northern Territory has not met once in eight months.

During this time it has failed to review the deaths of 13 children referred to it.

Now insiders have accused the Minister responsible for failing to act.

The Child Death Review and Prevention Committee performs a range of vital functions, including researching and identifying patterns or trends in child deaths in the Northern Territory, as well as making recommendations for legislation, policies and practices.

The Committee’s task in the Territory is pressing, with its 2023-2024 annual report finding “the Northern Territory presents significantly higher in all (child death) categories”, including more than double (72.5) the national rate of child deaths (29.6).

Children’s Commissioner Shahleena Musk said she was “deeply concerned” the Committee had failed to meet during this time.

Northern Territory Children's Commissioner Shahleena Musk is a member of the Committee. Picture: Supplied

“This Committee is crucial to examining the circumstances of child deaths in the Northern Territory and identification of systemic issues that may have contributed,” she told the NT News.

“The Committee has not been able to meet since the last meeting on 10 October, 2024, due to the Committee not being constituted with the minimum membership of 10 members, though nominations were provided to the Minister in November 2024,” she said.

A separate source close to the committee, who asked not to be named, said the Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby “would not approve recommendations for new members”, including a “senior pediatrician and forensic pathologist”.

Without quorum the Committee cannot meet, and without the Attorney-General’s approval of new nominations, the Committee cannot make quorum.

Ms Boothby confirmed the Committee had met only twice out of a possible seven meetings between July 2024 and June 2025.

Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby said the Committee had not met because it could not make quorum. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“The Committee was unable to meet on the remaining five scheduled occasions due to not having the statutory required number of members to form a quorum,” Ms Boothby said.

“The Attorney-General’s Department is progressing appointments to the Committee in accordance with the requirements set out in the Children’s Commissioner Act 2023.”

Ms Boothby said the Committee was under review as part of a wider investigation into committees and boards across her portfolio.

The review was described by the Labor Opposition as playing politics.

Opposition leader Selena Uibo said the ball was in the Attorney-General’s court. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“The death of a child is deeply tragic,” Opposition leader Selena Uibo said.

“We need to be doing all we can to learn from and prevent the unnecessary loss of Territory children in the future.

“Right now the deaths of 13 Territory children have not been reviewed because the Minister has chosen politics over prevention.

“Minister Boothby has a responsibility to all Territory families to reinstate the Child Death Review Committee immediately and do everything in her power to prevent another child dying in the NT.”

Originally published as NT Child Death Review and Protection Committee has not met in eight months