The then Chief Justice of the NT Supreme Court, Brian Martin presented this paper at the 17th Biennial Conference of the Australia Association of Magistrates. The paper includes a reflection on the historical origins of the magistracy. 

Brian Martin, 'Magistrates - the Face of the Australian Judiciary - A Lonely Life - Paper delivered at the 17th Biennial Conference of the Australian Association of Magistrates, Darwin,, 12 June 2010

As the colonial legal system developed in the early years of the New South Wales colony, its application to Aboriginal people was inconsistent. There were different approaches to the question of whether Aboriginal people could be tried under the law or were protected by the law.

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Brian Martin, 'Magistrates - the Face of the Australian Judiciary - A Lonely Life - Paper delivered at the 17th Biennial Conference of the Australian Association of Magistrates, Darwin,, 12 June 2010

Frontier wars and the legal system