The Case

Residents in the Northern Territory are subject to an unjust set of recently introduced bail laws. 

Grata is providing financial and campaigns support to the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) in its High Court challenge to these NT’s bail law changes. NAAJA is arguing the laws are unlawful because they essentially impose punishment before trial, and undermine the presumption of innocence. The changes to bail laws, introduced in 2025, now require judges to have a “high degree of confidence” that a person will not offend, even after all standard bail tests are met. This sets an impossibly high bar, effectively mandating detention without trial and eroding a core safeguard of the criminal justice system.

Case Timeline