NT Chief Justice Trevor Riley blasts cuts to legal aid services as a 'blow to heart' of justice system
The Northern Territory's Chief Justice says he has serious concerns about whether justice in the Territory is being delivered.
Speaking at a NT Law Society lunch on Thursday Justice Trevor Riley said legal aid bodies faced difficult circumstances.
"Funding cuts to legal aid services are a blow at the heart of the justice system."
Justice Riley said agencies like the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Service and the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission helped the most disadvantaged people who were in need of the greatest assistance.
In the Abbott Government's first budget last year, about $40 million was cut from legal aid services, with $13.3 million of that was from Indigenous services.
Mr Riley said funding cuts were a "false economy".
"It is obvious that funding cuts which result in a cut in services will not save money in the long run."
President of the Northern Territory Law Society, Tass Liveris, said the cuts would lead to increased costs for the taxpayer.
"If the funds available to perform those services is cut then that results in a whole lot of people not being able to get the representation they need.
"It resolves in under-represented litigants, unrepresented litigants. And that leads to an increase cost to the community, particularly the Territory community.
"You get increased incarceration rates and the like. The cost of that latter part is something that's borne by the Territory as opposed to the front end cost which otherwise might've been borne by the federal government.
"It's a matter of some concern to us and it ought to be a matter of concern to the Territory Government and Territory population."
'Disappointing increase' in criminal cases
Mr Liveris said the year ahead would be challenging for all those involved in the legal sphere.
He said while civil lodgements were falling, there was a "constant and disappointing increase in criminal lodgements each year."
Mr Liveris said it was becoming increasingly difficult for lawyers and magistrates to stay on top of court lists.
"Despite the best endeavours of the court, it really is time that a seventh judge is appointed."
Last year more than 300 cases were heard in the Territory's Supreme Court, and there were more than 5,000 cases completed in the youth jurisdiction.
"I think the legal profession is always going to be confronted with difficult challenges. Everyone pulls together - the profession, the courts, in the ultimate aim of the efficient delivery of justice.
"There is absolutely no question in my mind that the issues of funding cuts to legal aid bodies and the issue of effective staffing of our judiciary will remain forefront issues during the course of this year."
