The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency is facing calls for board resignations after a series of governance and finance issues.
Six acting CEOs have been appointed to NAAJA since late 2022 and despite NAAJA saying it is making “changes to its board” with a new acting CEO, further resignations are expected.
The NAAJA dismissed its long-standing CEO Priscilla Atkins in February last year.
Ms Atkins took the body to court on an unfair dismissal claim and won the case in June.
In the past year, since her departure the organisation has seen a number of staff leaving and a suspension of its criminal services.
After the latest CEO left the call has grown for the board to step down.
NAAJA deputy chair Colleen Rosas told the ABC she intends “to resign at the right time”.
Chair Hugh Woodbury has already stood, but remains a director after it was revealed he had pleaded guilty to domestic violence charges in 2020.
Ms Atkins took the body to court on an unfair dismissal claim and won the case in June.
It is believed, because of the turmoil, the organisation is struggling to recruit staff, especially lawyers.
The ABC report highlighted several key issues around day-to-day procedures, including a phone system that could not receive calls from clients in prison.
As a result, many clients were not represented in court.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy has already questioned the capability of the organisation in the Senate.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy has expressed concerns about the organisation.
“There are serious discussions going on between the Commonwealth and the NT Attorney-General around the concerns we have in relation to the service of NAAJA and the board of NAAJA, and these are taken very seriously,” Senator McCarthy said.
“There have been a series of steps. We’ve seen a number of CEOs go through those changes as part of that, and then those CEOS have moved on indicating the instability and the concerns with NAAJA. There have also been breach notices sent to NAAJA.”
The National Indigenous Australians Agency, the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department and the NT Government have written to NAAJA seeking g answers to several questions, but hav yet to receive a response.
