international
Feds warn NT's law-and-order agenda could breach human rights
Key takeaways
- Michelle Rowland says "no child should face charges or court processes without legal representation".
- The letter urged Ms Boothby to consider additional measures "to ensure baseline criminal legal assistance capacity remains sustainable in the face of increased demand" so children did not face court unrepresented.
- In response, Ms Boothby called on Legal Aid to assess their business operations and management of government funds.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Michelle Rowland says "no child should face charges or court processes without legal representation". (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Federal Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has written to her Northern Territory counterpart, Marie-Clare Boothby, raising concerns that the government's law and order reforms may be "inconsistent" with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The letter urged Ms Boothby to consider additional measures "to ensure baseline criminal legal assistance capacity remains sustainable in the face of increased demand" so children did not face court unrepresented.
Article preview — originally published by ABC Australia. Full story at the source.
Read full story on ABC Australia →
More top stories
Also covered by
Aggregated and edited by the Scoop newsroom. We surface news from ABC Australia alongside other reporting so you can compare coverage in one place.
Editorial policy · Corrections · About Scoop