NAAJA claims it is on track to have a Central Australian team of 17 lawyers by March

The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency says it has made a number of recent hires, taking its coterie of Alice Springs and Tennant Creek lawyers to nine, as it puts a timeline on its return to taking on new cases.

The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency says it has made a number of recent hires, taking its coterie of Alice Springs and Tennant Creek lawyers to nine, as it puts a timeline on its return to taking on new cases.

In a statement released on Wednesday, NAAJA said it was “on track” to add an additional eight lawyers to its Central Australian workforce by March, which is when it expects to begin taking on new youth clients again.

This would be followed by adult in-custody matters in April.

The agency again attacked what it claimed were “false statements” about its capacity to represent clients.

NAAJA stopped taking on new clients in Alice Springs in mid-November.

“The truth is that NAAJA is actively recruiting lawyers as we speak and is confident that we will have the capacity needed to resume new intakes of Youth Court matters in March, and new adult in-custody matters in April,” NAAJA principal legal officer Jared Sharp said.

NAAJA principal legal officer Jared Sharp. Picture: LinkedIn

“There is no denying that the organisation has been operating under strained resources as a result of a shortage of staff and an unprecedented demand for legal services, which led to the difficult but prudent decision in November to temporarily suspend the intake of new clients.

“Despite this, our hardworking lawyers have continued to provide criminal law services to our clients and have continued to appear in court for existing clients every day.”

Under a workforce action plan, NAAJA has recently entered into a deal with Territory Criminal Lawyers to provide lawyers for unrepresented defendants in Alice Springs Prison, the agency said in its statement.

Experienced barristers Julian McMahon and Ragni Mathur are among a number barristers from Victoria and NSW who are working in NAAJA’s Alice Springs office to assist with the rebuild.

Julian McMahon SC outside the Alice Springs Local Court for an inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker. Picture: Jason Walls

Mr McMahon claimed that NAAJA’s woes could not be attributed solely to the troubled agency, which has been bedevilled by internecine warfare and corruption allegations – later found to be unsubstantiated by NT Police – leading to a brain drain.

“All day, every day, this extraordinary team is under pressure: working in a community where Aboriginal people are heavily overpoliced and overcharged, placing extreme pressure on clients, and their lawyers,” he said.

“This is not NAAJA’s fault. The rhetoric in the media needs to tone down.

“Some of the commentary ignores the fact that the NAAJA Alice Springs is open right now, running and preparing Supreme Court trials, contests, and bails.”

‘Simply not true’: NAAJA breaks silence as scrutiny mounts

Earlier, February 9: The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency has hit back at attacks as being “simply not true”, as criticism mounts against its management, and the Commonwealth government threatens to strip its funding.

A crisis within the agency has led to some Indigenous Territorians facing court without legal representation, particularly in Alice Springs, where NAAJA had stopped taking on new clients for criminal matters in November.

Initially promising the pause on new clients would end in the new year, NAAJA now says it is on track to resume criminal law services – for youth clients only – next month.

Earlier this week it was revealed the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s department altered funding arrangements for NAAJA, allowing the Northern Territory government to redirect funds to other organisations.

It was understood the Northern Territory government gave NAAJA until Friday to present a plan and show why it should not have its funding redirected to another body, such as the NT Legal Aid Commission.

NAAJA Chief Executive Darryl Pearce. Picture: Fia Walsh

Former NAAJA Chief Executive Olga Havnen and former President of the Northern Territory Bar Association, John Lawrence SC, have recently spoken out against the agency’s board, calling for it to be dissolved immediately.

NAAJA said it was “disappointed to see ongoing attacks being made on the organisation, which are simply not true”.

“Last year, police conducted a thorough investigation into unfounded allegations against the chairperson and a senior staff member, resulting in no adverse findings and no further action,” a NAAJA spokeswoman on Friday morning said.

“Having cleared up those legal questions, NAAJA is single-mindedly focused on strengthening the Territory-wide Aboriginal legal service and is pleased to confirm we are well on track towards reopening youth services by March.”

It was reported in The Australian on February 9 that the NAAJA board had allegedly defied legal advice and had chosen to stay in Darwin at the taxpayer’s expense for a week, after they testified in an ongoing Federal Court spat with former boss Priscilla Atkins.

Former NAAJA chief executive Priscilla Atkins is in a legal battle with the provider. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

NAAJA receives more than $14 million a year in funding from the Federal Department of Attorney-General through the National Legal Assistance Partnership.

In a statement NAAJA said it was in the process of finalising specialist staffing arrangements ahead of an anticipated March reopening of its Youth Court practice in Alice Springs.

“NAAJA has also instigated a new plan to assist people currently in custody without any legal representation. Along with Territory Criminal Lawyers, NAAJA will provide lawyers for unrepresented defendants in Alice Springs Prison,” it said.

“The organisation has meanwhile entered agreements with several leading legal firms to provide short-term lawyers as well as partnerships with Victoria Legal Aid and the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to recruit lawyers on secondment.”

Originally published as NAAJA claims it is on track to have a Central Australian team of 17 lawyers by March