A human rights criticism has been lodged in opposition to the Northern Territory authorities and police commissioner on behalf of serving Aboriginal law enforcement officials.
Three serving Aboriginal law enforcement officials have lodged the criticism with the Australian Human Rights Fee alleging racial discrimination over a 20-year interval.
The criticism, lodged on the officers’ behalf by Sydney-based legislation agency Levitt Robinson, contains allegations of racial vilification and derision, and an unequal system of pay and promotion.
“[Aboriginal Community Police Officers] have been subject to racist conduct since their position was invented,” lawyer Dana Levitt stated.
“A lot of them have complained about the treatment to which they were subject or they’ve seen other community members subject and nothing has been done about it.”
However Levitt stated these usually are not historic complaints.
“They are still very much of today,” she stated.
“These are serving police members of the police force who have felt compelled to do this.”
Commissioner Michael Murphy stated it will be inappropriate to touch upon the specifics of the case, however the police drive was “invested in cultural reform”.
“What I can say is that it is a positive step for NT Police that members have the confidence to speak up about issues such as racism,” he stated in a press release.
The criticism follows Murphy’s public apology in August to Indigenous Territorians for previous harms and injustices brought on by members of the NT Police.
This apology was offensive to Aboriginal neighborhood law enforcement officials as a result of it implied that they had been complicit within the system, Levitt stated.
“It was a blanket apology about racist conduct by the NT Police,” she stated.
“It didn’t distinguish between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members of the force … the way it was worded caught them up in the apology themselves, and they don’t have anything to apologise for.”
The legal professionals stated they plan to pursue the matter within the federal courtroom if mediation is unsuccessful.
