NAAJA executive Leeanne Caton steps down amid Hugh Woodbury assault revelations

The most senior female executive at Australia’s largest Aboriginal legal aid service has sensationally resigned amid revelations chairman Hugh Woodbury assaulted his pregnant partner.

NAAJA acting deputy chief executive Leeanne Caton has stepped down.

The most senior female executive at Australia’s largest Aboriginal legal service has sensationally resigned amid revelations that chairman Hugh Woodbury assaulted his pregnant partner, as the board champions Woodbury’s leadership and claims “people who do the hard work to turn their lives around deserve a second chance”.

The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency’s acting deputy chief executive Leeanne Caton told staff on Friday she would be leaving immediately, having served in the embattled organisation for five months.

“I regret to advise I will be ceasing employment with NAAJA as of close (of) business today,” she wrote.

“I’d like to thank the NAAJA staff for the commitment, dedication and tireless input into the service delivery to our people across the Territory.

“I am truly appreciative of the support that I have received from staff and I wish you all the best into the future.” A statement from an NAAJA spokesperson said Ms Caton was serving in a temporary capacity and had “resigned for personal reasons”.

NAAJA chair Hugh Woodbury.

Mr Woodbury was fined $200 and given a 12-month good behaviour bond following the incident. The NAAJA board has thrown its “full support” behind Mr Woodbury, telling staff ­“people who do the hard work to turn their lives around deserve a second chance … You may have seen some media coverage about a historic domestic incident involving NAAJA chairman Hugh Woodbury,” an all-staff email, sent on June 14 and obtained by The Australian, reads.

“At the time of his appointment, the NAAJA board was made aware of the incident, for which Mr Woodbury was fined and issued a good behaviour bond.

“No conviction was recorded.

“Mr Woodbury subsequently undertook extensive family counselling and, with the ongoing support of his partner and extended family, he has worked hard to get his life on track.

“He is currently studying an arts degree at university and, through his role at NAAJA, is dedicated to improving justice outcomes for Aboriginal people across the Territory.”

The board said family violence was a “serious issue” across the country, especially for Indigenous Australians who are overrepresented as both offenders and victims.

“Mr Woodbury has the full support of the board because ­people who do the hard work to turn their lives around deserve a second chance,” the email reads.

“We understand this matter may have raised concerns for some of you and would encourage you to raise these with your manager.”

The Woodbury revelations sparked a renewed push from MPs and legal experts to examine funding arrangements of the organisation, which receives some $20m from the federal government a year under the National Legal Assistance Partnership.

The organisation has been gripped by chaos over the past 18 months, eventuating most significantly in a mass exodus of staff that saw vulnerable Aboriginal defendants forced to represent themselves in court.

The current acting CEO, Phillip Brown, is the nephew of former chair Colleen Rosas, who is at the centre of a federal court case brought by former CEO Priscilla Atkins, who claims Ms Rosas – who is still NAAJA’s deputy chair – repeatedly misused company funds, including requesting her pay be given to her on a credit card so as not to alert the tax office and threaten her Centrelink pension.

Colleen Rosas.

Priscilla Atkins.

Ms Rosas claims Ms Atkins used company funds to acquire clothes, artworks, flights and cars – including a $129,000 Range Rover – and forged her signature on a contract extension form.

Both women deny allegations against them, and NT police concluded an investigation into Ms Rosas and found no wrongdoing.

The outcome of that Federal Court case, however, is due to be handed down on Thursday.

NAAJA’s former acting CEO Olga Havnen earlier this year exclusively told The Australian the board did not possess “high level skills” and needed to be removed immediately.

She also said the board allegedly defied legal advice by choosing to stay in Darwin on a taxpayer-funded trip for a week after they testified in the Federal Court spat, engaging in “unjustified and unnecessary expenditure” by doing so and potentially compromising the case.