One of Australia's largest Aboriginal legal services has appointed a new Chief Executive as it looks to move on from years of leadership instability and controversy.
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) has named Ben Grimes — the former CEO of the Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Aboriginal Corporation (ARDS) — as its new Chief Executive.
A former senior manager at the Aboriginal Interpreter Service and law lecturer at Charles Darwin University, Mr Grimes has also previously worked as a criminal lawyer at NAAJA.
NAAJA chairperson Theresa Roe said the appointment followed a comprehensive recruitment process.
"The directors are looking forward to working with Ben to expand the delivery of justice, legal services, and advocacy that empower our people and communities," Ms Roe said.
In addition to Mr Grimes' appointment, NAAJA also confirmed Dagoman man Matthew Connop — who had been serving as interim deputy CEO since last year — would formally take on the role. Anna Gill has been named as the organisation's new principal legal officer.
In a statement, a NAAJA spokesperson thanked acting CEO Anthony Beven for his leadership.
"[He] led NAAJA through a period of significant structural and operational change over the last nine months," the spokesperson said.
Mr Grimes steps into the leadership role following a turbulent period for the legal organisation. Last year, the Federal Court ruled NAAJA "unlawfully sacked" long-serving CEO Priscilla Atkins in February 2023. It ruled the board had acted unfairly by initiating an audit of Ms Atkins after she made corruption allegations against the organisation's then-finance chief, Madhur Evans.
Justice Natalie Charlesworth found NAAJA had breached the Fair Work Act by taking adverse action against Ms Atkins on six separate occasions. The court ruled the agency had failed to demonstrate its actions were not motivated by her exercising — or threatening to exercise — her workplace rights.
In a statement issued in November, NAAJA said they "unequivocally" accepted the findings.
After the Federal Court placed an injunction on the hiring of a permanent CEO, NAAJA went through six acting chief executives over the next two years.
During this period the organisation experienced a major loss of staff, including lawyers, the temporary suspension of its criminal law services, and growing calls for the board to resign. At one point, it was reported at least 75 clients were left unrepresented in court.
In response, NAAJA began a broad internal restructuring process. This included the resignation of board chair Hugh Woodbury — who had been appointed despite having previously pleaded guilty to assaulting his then-pregnant partner — and a shift to new governance arrangements.
In November, members approved a new constitution which opened membership to all Indigenous people in the Northern Territory. It also reduced the board size from 16 to a maximum of eight directors, for the first time including three independent specialist directors alongside five community representatives.
Following a series of resignations in August, four new directors were quietly appointed. In December, Yawuru, Gurindji and Torres Strait Islander woman Theresa Roe was confirmed as the new chairperson.
