Northern Territory court delays hit record highs, victims left waiting for justice

Recent NT government statistics reveal that the average duration from filing a serious criminal case in the Local Court to trial completion has risen to 476 days, the longest period on record. Defendants who are refused bail are now held for roughly 14 months on remand before their cases are heard. The Local Court, which handles most criminal matters, is experiencing its busiest year in ten years, and the backlog of cases awaiting committal to the Supreme Court has doubled.

Despite the workload tripling, the number of permanent Supreme Court judges has remained unchanged since 1997. The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency’s chief executive highlighted that many acquitted individuals lose months of their lives, while victims report feeling stuck in limbo. Calls for greater investment in court infrastructure, holding cells, judges and legal-aid lawyers are intensifying as the justice system struggles to keep pace.