NAAJA board in mass resignation, as chair Hugh Woodbury stands aside

The head of Australia’s largest Aboriginal legal service, who stood on his pregnant partner’s stomach and slammed her arm in a door, will step down from his role as four other directors leave.

NAAJA chair Hugh Woodbury.

The head of Australia’s largest Aboriginal legal service, who stood on his pregnant partner’s stomach and slammed her arm in a door, has stepped aside from his role amid a mass exodus of board members from the embattled agency.

The Australian understands four other board members of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency have stood down in a shock group resignation that has brought further uncertainty to the beleaguered community legal service.

Chair Hugh Woodbury, who had been facing mounting pressure to resign after The Australian revealed had physically abused his pregnant partner in an alcohol-fuelled tirade, will stand down from his role at the end of the month but will remain as a NAAJA director.

“The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) has commenced changes to its board as it embarks on the next phase of an ongoing program designed to strengthen governance and operations across the fast-growing organisation,” a statement from a NAAJA spokesperson said.

“Several directors have advised that they are stepping down from the NAAJA board, while Hugh Woodbury has advised of his intention to step aside as chairman at the end of the month. He will remain a director on the board.

“NAAJA has commenced work on modernising its constitution, which will include a review of the size and structure of the board. Currently, up to 16 directors can serve on NAAJA’s board.”

The Australian understands board member Vernon Hill has resigned. Sources have indicated that Leisa Sjaardema, Nancy Jeffrey and Shirley Garlett have also stood down, along with company secretary Natalie Ellis.

Over the past year NAAJA has lost dozens of staff and experienced a critical shortage in crime-ridden Alice Springs earlier this year, when services drew to a halt and vulnerable Aboriginal defendants were forced to represent themselves in court.

NAAJA last month lost its fifth chief executive in 18 months, with Phil Brown stepping down in a surprise departure having only been in the role for four months.

Former acting deputy CEO Leeanne Caton, who stepped down in June after just five months with the organisation, has this week been circulating a petition among current and former NAAJA staff calling for a vote of no confidence in the board.

“It seems that the situation with NAAJA has reached a critical point,” the petition reads.

“The potential loss of funding for this essential service, which has been a cornerstone of legal support for Aboriginal people for over five decades, is deeply concerning.

“The issues I have highlighted regarding governance, noncompliance with funding body requests, internal conflicts, and unconstitutional decision-making are serious and could indeed jeopardise the future of this vital service.”

The agency has this year been plagued by Federal Court findings that the NAAJA board unlawfully sacked its former chief executive Priscilla Atkins after she raised serious allegations of corruption against senior members of staff, including Colleen Rosas.

Ms Rosas has consistently denied any allegations of misconduct and is still serving as NAAJA’s deputy chair.

A NAAJA spokesperson, in confirming the mass resignation, said over the past year the agency has “been working closely with the Office of the NT Attorney-General and appointed advisers to implement recommendations from the strategic, governance, and operational review conducted by KPMG in early 2023”.

“NAAJA will shortly commence a process of recruiting new directors with appropriate experience and expertise across the fields of governance, finance, legal affairs, and risk management, as well as critical first-person experience and knowledge of Aboriginal communities and their needs,” the spokesperson said.

The Australian in June revealed then-Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney had called an emergency meeting with Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and NT Attorney-General Chansey Paech to interrogate the failures of the service.

Her agency, the National Indigenous Australians Agency, at the time announced it would audit the $9.8m being provided to NAAJA this financial year.