How NAAJA was formed?

In 2005 the Australian Government informed the Aboriginal legal aid services in the Northern Territory that the funding of these services would cease, and that a contract would be put to tender for the delivery of these services.

At the time there were four separate Aboriginal legal aid organizations providing quality services, three of them since the early 1970’s.

• DARWIN                                                – The North Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service – NAALAS
• KATHERINE                                         – The Katherine Regional Aboriginal Legal Aid Service – KRALAS
• NHULUNBUY (East Arnhem Land)    – The Miwatj Aboriginal Legal Service – MALS (incorporated in 1998)
• ALICE SPRINGS                                  – The Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service – CAALAS

The Australian Government’s tender contract for the delivery of the Legal Aid Services in the Northern Territory was split into two regions - The Northern Region and the Southern Region.

CAALAS tendered for the Southern Region.

NAALAS, KRALAS and MALS decided to join forces and tender for the Northern Region contract.

This involved the dissolution of the three former entities and the formation of a new single Company that successfully tendered for the contract and on the 1st February 2006 – the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency – NAAJA was born.