Our Justice Work
We want our young people to always feel proud of who they are and where they come from, holding deep connections to culture and songlines.
National Justice Reinvestment
Justice Reinvestment is an approach to reform the criminal justice system by reducing the social and economic harms of imprisonment. It shifts the focus to preventative, rehabilitative, and community-based strategies to address the over-representation of Indigenous Australians in the system. By investing in community-led and culturally appropriate solutions, it aims to break the cycle of incarceration.
Our Cultural Justice Model
We want our young people to always feel proud of who they are and where they come from, holding deep connections to culture and songlines.
In February 2024, we secured funding through the Australian Government’s National Justice Reinvestment program, providing us with valuable resources to implement our Cultural Justice Model. Nja-marléya leaders will continue their work to resolve justice issues and create lasting impact.
Our goal is to reduce first and repeated contact with justice systems through tailored support and rehabilitation programs. We will do this with the help of cultural mentors (Jaga) who will guide our young ones to stay on track through cultural programs and activities. We will also work together with stakeholders to improve young people’s health, wellbeing, education, training and job outcomes. We will continue to advocate for justice system reforms so that legislation, policy and programs reflect the needs of our people and support our local solutions towards positive changes.
Our model includes the following key components:
Senior Lore Elders and Nja-marléya Cultural Leaders working together to address identified issues.
Early response to youth offending through the process of a ‘Bush Council’ to resolve the matters together with young person and their family and prevent further contact with justice systems.
Development of a Cultural Plan coordinated by Nja-marléya Jaga team of mentors to support identified young people with tailored culturally aligned programs.
Referral for additional supports through our network of service providers.
Regular meetings with key justice related services including Police, Corrections, Nja-marléya, Wellness, Territory Families and Health teams to coordinate overall supports.
Jaga
Ngabarra-karráwanga yiberra
- We look out for them
Jaga is our cultural mentoring program supporting young people in Maningrida and surrounding homelands to stay strong in their identity - knowing who they are, where they come from, and being proud of it. Jaga means guidance, care and walking alongside, providing support when kids are off track and helping them reconnect with their values. When young people are strong in culture and self, they are more connected to community and less likely to become involved with the justice system. Jaga is about looking after each other and building strong futures together.
Community Courts
Nja-marléya is engaged as the Law and Justice Group (LJG) under the NT Aboriginal Justice Agreement (AJA) 2021-2027 which is overseen by the NT Aboriginal Justice Unit. Nja-marléya’s Law and Justice Group (LJG) representatives appointed by the NT Attorney General (gazzetted) are:
Tim Wilton
Lucy Yarrarwanga
Jessica Phillips
Elizabeth Wullunmingu
Kingsley Murphy
Nja-marléya LJG plays an important role under the AJA by engaging with the justice system to help improve community safety and justice outcomes. The group brings Bininj perspectives into the legal process through Community Court which is a sentencing court operating under the Sentencing Act 1995and the Youth Justice Act 2005.
Before each Community Court sitting, the LJG prepares an Aboriginal Experience Report as specified under S.107B of the Sentencing Act 1995. This report is submitted to the Courts Registrar for the information of the presiding judge, the defence and prosecution teams. The report is prepared following LJG interviews held with relevant parties before the scheduled Community Court. It offers cultural, family, health, wellbeing, social and community insights that help inform the sentencing decisions. The LJG also invite victims and other affected parties to be part of the process and hear their perspectives. In preparing the reports, the LJG may also suggest culturally relevant alternatives to custody.
While the LJG provides valuable input, final sentencing decisions are made solely by the presiding judge. During Community Court, two representatives from the LJG sit alongside the judge and actively participate in court proceedings. This includes speaking with the judge on matters and speaking in community languages to the offender about the matter and imposed sentences.
Community Court assists with both Local Court (adult) and Youth Court matters. Under S.107D of the Sentencing Act 1995, the offender must be:
a local Aboriginal person
plead guilty to the offence
request to be sentenced through Community Court.
Matters that are before other Courts, such as the Supreme Court are not dealt with through Community Court.
To strengthen its work and assessment processes, Nja-marléya facilitates ongoing professional development and training for LJG members. This has included practice sessions with organisations such as NAAJA, NAAFLS, Territory Families, NTPFES and the Aboriginal Justice Unit. We also conduct practice reflections and are planning to establish a Communities of Practice with other Justice Groups.
“We created Nja-marléya to actually prove our law and justice system still exists. It’s been there 60,000 years and we want to continue on.”
— Garth Malwurja Doolan, Nja-marléya Deputy Chairperson