Proposed Changes to NT’s Suppression Laws may Hurt Victim-Survivors

Key points

• Legal services and women's safety advocates in the Northern Territory warn that proposed changes to suppression laws for sexual offences may hurt some victims. Chief Minister Leah Finocchiaro plans to introduce legislation lifting suppression orders that stop the identification of people charged with serious sexual offences.
• The Northern Territory Legal Assistance Forum says victims and their support services should be consulted, as the laws may have unintended consequences.
• The North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service says that in rural and remote communities, naming an offender is often as good as identifying the victim.