As the new Northern Territory government implements the tough-on-crime policies that helped bring them to office, access to legal aid is being cut back sharply, raising concerns vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will be left to defend themselves in court.
One of the Northern Territory's most prominent barristers says the legal system is currently collapsing and the situation will only get worse.Meanwhile, the newly-elected Country Liberal Party government is bringing in a raft of reforms expected to land more people in jail, particularly children.
Mr Lawrence has held some of the nations most esteemed legal positions: Director of the Law Council of Australia, Director of the Australian Bar Association, President of the Criminal Lawyers Association of the NT, and President of the Northern Territory Bar Association.Last Month, Legal Aid NT issued a statement saying it will scale back services, slashing a vital lifeline for clients who don't have the money to afford lawyers.
The President of the NT Criminal Lawyers Association, Beth Wild, told the ABC last week that she knows of one man whose trial was scheduled for January which has now been deferred with a stay of prosecution because he couldn't access a lawyer.The NT government responded last week with $1 million in legal aid funding.
The plan also provides for some boot camp and bail facilities for youths in Katherine and Tennant Creek."This is a significant change program for Corrections. It's the largest infrastructure program that we've rolled out ever. And I'm very confident that as we transfer this over the next four years that you'll see significant changes in the way we manage corrections and youth justice right across the Northern Territory.
Legislation has also passed to increase the possible prison term for using vehicles to ram businesses, homes, or police cars to 10 years, as well as a new offence for posting on social media about committing crimes.The government says these reforms will help reduce crime. Experts including National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds disagree. She says the response is not based on evidence.
Mr Lawrence emphasises the fact that almost 100 per cent of the youth prison population in the NT are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.He agrees responses to crime are driven by governments seeking electoral gain, maintaining the current crisis is the inevitable result of failure from all major political parties over several decades.
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