NAAJA provides a range of legal education and training programs designed to help Aboriginal Territorians and communities develop an increased understanding and capacity to interact and engage with the mainstream legal system.
This includes a pre-release program at the prison, a public speaking project at the Don Dale Juvenile Detention Centre, education sessions at rehabilitation centres and safehouses in remote communities, the Department of Justice’s Indigenous Family Violence Offender program, school-based legal education sessions, and various requests to give presentations to government and community organisations across the Top End.
NAAJA regularly delivers education on a range of topics including:
- how laws are made, parliamentary democracy and the separation of power
- the criminal justice system
- interacting well with police
- domestic violence orders
- compensation for victims of crime
- police misconduct
- mandatory reporting
- child protection
- motor vehicle accidents
- car and other property seizures
- housing, and
- Centrelink issues
The Legal Education team developed a legal education methodology (hyperlink?) that draws heavily on aspects of adult learning, bi-lingual education, two way learning, traditional Aboriginal learning styles as well as activity and narrative-based learning.
We have a range of fact sheets (hyperlink?) to increase understanding of the law. The team conducts intensive community engagement projects in several remote communities. NAAJA emphasises community development principles, and works with Elders and community leaders to identify and develop initiatives to promote community safety, enhance understandings of and participation in court process and assist community members to engage in policy debates.