Victims of Crime

CAAFLU provides culturally appropriate legal and support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have experienced or are experiencing domestic and family violence or sexual assault.

• legal advice and representation
• advocacy
• information
• referrals
• support

Central Australian Women’s Legal Service (CAWLS) delivers a holistic, culturally safe, trauma informed legal service for women. Our team can help with information about legal issues, legal advice and representation, referral to support services, community legal education and law reform advocacy.

Katherine Women’s Information & Legal Service (KWILS) is a not-for-profit Community Legal Centre based in Katherine, Northern Territory. We are a specialist women’s legal service providing all women, and those who identify as women, in Katherine and the Big Rivers Region access to free and professional legal and support services, with a particular focus on the reduction of domestic, family and sexual violence. We also provide community legal education and undertake advocacy and law reform work in areas that improve gender equity and address gendered violence.

KWILS aims to ensure that all women in the Katherine region have access to free legal advice and representation in the following areas:

• Domestic, Family and Personal Violence
• Child protection
• Family Law
• Discrimination (age, sex, race, gender etc)
• Employment (including sexual harassment)
• Government complaints (including the conduct of Police, Corrections & Education)
• Health Care Complaints Commission (including the conduct of Health Care, Aged Care and Disability Care Providers)
• Coronial Inquests
• Tenancy Law (public and private tenancies)
• Social Security/Centrelink
• Consumer law (Credit & Debts)
• Victims of Crime and Motor Accidents Compensation

TEWLS provides free civil and family law services, including legal information and referral, advice, casework and representation services, community legal education, and advocacy to women in the Top End.

TEWLS is able to provide free legal advice and legal information and referral services to all women and people identifying as women in the Greater Darwin region. Women wishing to access our services are able to seek free legal help in person at the TEWLS office or at our various clinic locations, as well as over the phone.

How we can help

TEWLS provides holistic and culturally appropriate legal and related non-legal services.

For more information about how TEWLS can help you, please see How We Can Help.

Legal advice and representation

TEWLS is able to provide free legal advice to all women and people identifying as women in the Greater Darwin region, including legal information and referral services. TEWLS also provides casework and representation services on a case-by-case basis.

For more information about TEWLS’ provision of legal advice and representation services, please see Legal Advice & Representation.

Areas of Law

TEWLS provides legal services in most areas of civil and family law, including:

• Family Law, including separation, parenting, property and divorce
• Domestic and Family Violence
• Debts
• Tenancy and Housing
• Complaints
• Compensation, including victims of crime compensation
• Superannuation and Estates
• Employment Law

For more information about the areas of law that we are able to assist with, please see Areas of Law.

Where can I meet with TEWLS?

TEWLS provides legal services in-house at our Darwin office, as well as at various outreach and clinic locations.

For more information about where you can meet with TEWLS, please see Clinic Locations.

Community Legal Education

TEWLS has a strong commitment to community legal education – we believe that by empowering women with knowledge and information about the legal system, women and the community at large will be able to better access the legal system.

For more information about TEWLS’ Community Legal Education programs and how you can contact TEWLS to discuss legal education workshops and/or campaigns, please see Community Legal Education.

Not in the Northern Territory?

If you are in a state or territory other than the Northern Territory, or need a different community legal centre, please see the National Association of Community Legal Centres website for information about a community legal centre, including women’s legal service, in your local area.

We provide information, crisis counselling and referrals for other support services to any victim of crime, past or present. We can also assist in the preparation of documentation such as Victim Impact Statements and applications for financial assistance where victims are eligible. When necessary we will also advocate on behalf of a victim of crime to other agencies such as police, government and non-government agencies. VoCNT are also able to offer support to victims of crime participating in Youth Justice Conferencing and Youth Diversion Programs.

Free call – 1800 672 242 This line is to be contacted in the event of a break-in in order for contractors to be contacted to re-secure or clean up a property. The phone line is a free call number Territory wide and available during business hours. For after hours, please contact us via out website.

Court Services For those victims feeling traumatised or overwhelmed by the court process we can provide a support person to accompany them to court.

Safe at Home Program This program is targeted towards Territorians who are most at risk of unlawful entry or domestic violence and/or personal crime in local and remote communities by assisting to improve the security of their homes or housing.

Restore, Recover and Protect Program This Program is designed to assist victims of crime financially to re-secure their property following an unlawful entry. Please contact our service regarding eligibility for the program.

Public Education We can provide public education on issues related to victims of crime including presentations, workshops, seminars and media interviews.