North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency Limited & Anor v Northern Territory of Australia

The parties to this proceeding before the High Court of Australia were the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency Limited, represented by Mr M.K. Moshinsky QC, and the Northern Territory of Australia, represented by Mr M.P. Grant QC, the Solicitor-General for the Northern Territory. The dispute concerned the procedural timetable for the hearing of a special case.

The court was required to determine an appropriate and accelerated timetable for the filing of the special case, the special case book, written submissions from the parties, and any submissions from interveners, with the aim of having the matter heard in September. The court also needed to ensure compliance with section 78B notices.

The court's reasoning focused on managing the interlocutory processes to facilitate an early hearing. It adjusted the proposed timetable put forward by the parties, bringing forward certain filing deadlines to accommodate the court's availability. The court directed that the special case, in its agreed draft form, be filed and served by 10 July 2015, and that the questions of law stated therein be referred for hearing to a Full Court. Specific filing deadlines were set for the special case book, the plaintiffs' initial submissions, the defendant's submissions, interveners' submissions, and the plaintiffs' reply submissions, all with the intention of expediting the matter.