By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
A senior Darwin based criminal barrister has criticized the Northern Territory (NT) court system for lacking due process for Indigenous people and called for the dismissal of racist officers in the NT police force instead of offering apologies.
John Lawrence SC, a former president of the NT Bar Association, dismissed NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy’s public apology to Indigenous Territorians, delivered at the annual Garma festival, as meaningless while officers with racist behavior remain on the force. Lawrence emphasized the need for accountability by removing those officers.
During his speech at Garma, Murphy apologized for the historical and ongoing racism within the NT police force. He expressed deep regret to Aboriginal Territorians for past harms and outlined intentions to drive change. However, Lawrence argued that mere apologies were insufficient without tangible actions such as firing the officers involved in racist behavior.
The national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss, and Race Discrimination Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, acknowledged the apology as significant but stressed the need for accountability for current injustices.
Murphy also announced plans to issue a separate apology to the people of Yuendumu, where Warlpiri Luritja man Kumanjayi Walker was fatally shot by police in 2019. The incident revealed deeply racist attitudes within sections of the NT police, which are under investigation by the NT’s anti-corruption commission. Murphy stated he would await the inquiry’s findings before taking action against the officers involved.
Lawrence, speaking at a panel session on truth telling, criticized the NT court system for its lack of due process for Indigenous people, labeling it a disgrace and a broken system. He also condemned the Don Dale youth detention center and called for its closure, having previously appealed to the prime minister for federal intervention without success.
Lawrence criticized Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pledge to address Indigenous disadvantage, dismissing it as empty rhetoric. He highlighted severe health issues in remote NT communities, such as rheumatic heart disease, as preventable yet neglected problems.
Historian Dr. Robyn Smith pointed out that the issue is not about truth telling but about listening to Indigenous people, who have long been speaking the truth about their experiences. Nigel Browne, CEO of the Larrakia Development Corporation, emphasized the importance of teaching the true history of Australia to foster understanding and open hearts.
Comments