The Northern Territory news Thu 21 Apr 2011
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2011-04-21
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/232267
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/664628
www.ntnews.com.au Thursday, April 21, 2011. NT NEWS. 9 P U B : N T N E W S D A T E : 2 1 -A P R -2 0 1 1 P A G E : 9 C O L O R : C M Y K Open Good Friday 5pm till late Open Easter Saturday 5pm till late Closed Easter Sunday Open Anzac Day 5pm till late Closed Easter Tuesday EASTER TRADING HOURS Happy days! er430410 43mg0401 NT News Anzac Day Public Holiday Display Advertising Deadlines Edition Deadline Tuesday, 26 April 2011 Wednesday, 20 April 2011 - 10am Wednesday, 27April 2011 Wednesday, 20 April 2011 - 2pm Thursday, 28April 2011 Thursday, 21 April 2011 - 10am Friday, 29 April 2011 Wednesday, 27 April 2011 - 10am Saturday, 30 April 2011 Wednesday, 27 April 2011 - 10am For advertising enquiries call 08 8944 9801 and ask for the Sales Representative in your area. The NT News offices will close at 5pm Thursday 21st April and reopen 8.30am Wednesday 27th April. ntnews.com.aul l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l NEWS Bench Justice of the Peace Alan Sprigg is not happy about a decision by the Territorys new chief magistrate to dump the JP Court Picture: JUSTIN SANSON NT JPs ruled out of court By SARAH CRAWFORD Court Reporter JP SERVICES WHATTHEYDO n Administering an oath n Taking an affidavit n Attesting the execution of a document n Signing warrants and summonses n Hearing certain matters in court MAGISTRATES will be bogged down with minor matters such as illegal camping and traffic infringement notices because the new chief magistrate has dumped a court run by trained volunteers, a long-serving Justice of the Peace said. Chief Magistrate Hilary Hannam has scrapped a court run by JP volunteers that frees magistrates of up to 70 minor traffic and council matters a month. Bench JP Alan Sprigg said that the dumping of the monthly court will mean magistrates will now have their time wasted hearing minor matters when they should be focused on more serious cases. But Ms Hannam said that judicial functions should rest with magistrates who are appointed for that purpose and not with JPs. Ms Hannam said Darwin was the only place in the Northern Territory that had a JP court. She said the decision was in keeping with most other jurisdictions in Australia where JPs do not have roles in the courts. Mr Sprigg, who has volunteered at JP court since it began in 1999, said they were told abruptly by court staff last October that their serv ices were no longer needed. After more than a decade of unpaid service in operating JP Court in Darwin, involving thousands of hours of commitment, Ms Hannam unilaterally decided to cease JPs involvement in the courts without even the basic common courtesy of some prior notice to the Justices Association, Mr Sprigg said. It is not the first time the blunt-talking chief magistrate has upset people in the legal fraternity. Last week the NT News reported that a complaint was lodged with the Bar Association and the Criminal Lawyers Association over new restrictions on lawyers accessing court documents. Lawyers were told they could no longer view court documents at the Darwin Magistrates Court front counter but instead had to submit a request in writing which must be approved by Ms Hannam. Teenage stabber freed on provisos By SARAH CRAWFORD A TEENAGER walked free from the Supreme Court after pleading guilty to stabbing his girlfriend twice with a pair of scissors because she was staring at him. The girl suffered a punctured lung when her boyfriend, then 17, stabbed her in the back with the scissors. He then stabbed her in the wrist, punched her in the face and kicked her in the chest. Justice Jenny Blokland told the court regrettably there appeared to be many aggravated assaults against females at Maningrida, 500km east of Darwin. The teenagers lawyer told Justice Blokland that he may have learned inappropriate ways of treating women from other men at Maningrida. The boy, who cant be named because of his age, pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to his 17-yearold girlfriend on April 21 last year. The court heard he stabbed his girlfriend because she was teasing him by staring. He then became jealous that she was seeing his cousin-brother. Justice Blokland gave him a sentence of 10 months suspended on a number of conditions, including that he apply to take part in the Family Violence Program. The boy was in jail for 28 days before he was sentenced. e r4 3 0 4 1 3 SOLAR LEADERSHIP ALICE Springs is looking for a new solar power advocate to fill the spot as general manager of the Alice Solar City Project. Alice Solar City is a community project which seeks to change the way consumers think about and use energy. The manager is being sought through the Alice Springs Town Council. OCEANACTION AUSTRALIAN delegates have just returned from the 5th International Marine Debris Conference in Hawaii. Ghost Nets Australia were among 400 people from 38 nations discussing whether clean-up activities were addressing only the symptoms or were part of the solution to the problem.