Man charged with attacking woman with iron bar has case shelved indefinitely
Northern Territory lawyers say victims of crime have been forced into the "horrifying" position of seeing perpetrators — including those facing child sex charges — have their cases postponed indefinitely amid an ongoing legal aid funding stoush.
A man has had his case against a woman who he allegedly attacked with an iron bar indefinitely delayed after he informed the court he could not afford a lawyer. The defendant, a young father who earns less than $400 a fortnight from JobSeeker, was represented himself at Darwin Local Court due to being denied legal aid. The case's delay comes from an ongoing legal aid funding dispute between the Northern Territory government and LANT, the organization providing legal aid services.
Legal Aid NT's director, Catherine Voumard, has implemented significant cuts, limiting duty lawyers to assist defendants only in exceptional circumstances. Despite the NT government increasing baseline funding by $5.5 million, LANT has only released $3.4 million of the allocated $13 million, with the remaining funds subject to the execution of a funding agreement.
Critics argue that the funding crisis is not only affecting defendants without representation but also undermining the entire justice system. NT Criminal Lawyers Association president Beth Wild stated that the situation is deeply disturbing for victims who must endure the possibility that their perpetrator continues living in the community.
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