Quick answer
Someone arrested in the Territory? The custody map is five watch houses - Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs - and the duty lawyer walks into the cells before court. How to find them, the bail file to build, and NAAJA for Aboriginal families.
What this video covers
- Introduction (0:00)
- The map is learnable (0:04)
- Where they are (0:20)
- Short-term by design (0:44)
- Your job — the bail file (1:09)
- Three protections (1:32)
- Aboriginal families (1:56)
- The map is yours now (2:14)
- Free help, any hour - 1800 577 015 (2:36)
Transcript
Someone you love has been arrested in the territory. Whether you're across town or across five hundred kilometers of highway, the questions are the same: Where are they? When is court? And what can I actually do from here? The territory's map is small enough to learn in one video. Let us learn it. Where they are, arrested people in the territory are held at watch houses, police custody built for short stays. The main ones sit in Darwin at the police center, in Palmerston, Catherine, Tennant Creek, and Alice Springs.
Ring the police station for the town of the arrest and ask calmly which watch house holds them and when they will see a court. Calm gets answers. Fury gets a dial tone. What happens next? Watch houses are short term by design. Police make the first bail decision, and if they refuse, your person goes before the local court quickly where a magistrate decides. And here is the territory's genuine comfort for families. A duty lawyer comes to the cells. People in custody are seen in the interview rooms before court, free every sitting day in Darwin and Alice Springs especially. Your job is the bail file.
Territory magistrates decide on practical anchors, and family holds most of them. A stable address and in remote communities, be ready to explain exactly where and with whom. A responsible person who will stand behind them. Work or a program waiting, get those facts to the duty lawyer or a private lawyer before the hearing. And if you can be in the courtroom, be there. Three protections from your side. Calls from custody are recorded, so the case is never discussed on them. Not what happened. Not what to say. Only love, health, and logistics.
Tell the watch house about medication and health conditions immediately, including alcohol withdrawal risks. They matter in the cells. And nothing about the arrest on social media from anyone, because posts end up in prosecution files. If your family member is Aboriginal, the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency defends people right across the territory, and their lawyers work the watch house lists and the Bush courts alike. Reach them early, especially for anyone held far from town. Their details are in the description below.
Five watch houses, a court that moves quickly, and a duty lawyer who walks into the cells. That is the territory's map, and now it is yours. Feed the bail file, keep the lines clean, and get help moving tonight. Our hotline is free to call at any hour, wet season or dry, and a consultation with a criminal lawyer is a fixed price. The number is on your screen.
Important
This video provides general legal information for Northern Territory. It is not legal advice and does not take account of your circumstances. Laws and court processes change. For advice about your situation, speak with a qualified lawyer.