Abstract:
The Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) was a raft of measures introduced by the Commonwealth ofAustralia in response to allegations ofchildsexual abuse in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities. The measures included the compulsory acquisition of Aboriginal lands, the quarantining of welfare payments, prohibitions on alcohol, and the vesting of expansive powers in the Commonwealth Minister to intervene in the affairs of Aboriginal organizations. This article aims to provide a brief historical background of Aboriginal people's experiences with the law in Australia, discuss certain provisions of the NTER, and, finally, examine the consequences three years after the implementation of the NTER.
