We are NATSILS, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services. We represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) around the country. We strive towards true justice for our communities built on community, culture and empowerment.
We advocate at the national and international level to reimagine the justice system, for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within the justice system, and work to ensure that our people have equitable access to justice.
Our members have over 50 years’ experience in providing culturally safe legal help, community legal education, law reform and advocacy to our communities. Self-determination and cultural safety underpins everything we do.

NATSILS also works to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services are adequately funded and equipped to provide high quality and culturally safe legal assistance services.

What We Do

NATSILS advocates at the national and international level for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within the justice system, for an end to injustices and for our people to have equitable access to justice.

We collaborate and coordinate with the legal assistance sector, national coalitions like Change the Record and the Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Bodies

NATSILS calls for law reform and policy change like the implementation of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody recommendations and the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Pathways to Justice Inquiry so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People are treated safely, with humanity and with dignity.

We coordinate and support ATSILS to provide community controlled, representative, high quality and accountable legal services that are culturally safe. This includes by sharing best practice and facilitating coordinated approaches.

NATSILS is the national peak body of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services who operate across Australia.

NATSILS members include:

Latest

NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: NATSILS welcomes the extension of the Disability Royal Commission

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) welcomes the extension of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

Lack of funding for Aboriginal Legal Services further entrenches our people into the justice system, and minimises the national crisis of deaths in custody

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (NATSILS) is concerned that no additional funding for legal assistance services will set back Close the Gap efforts and further see our people disproportionately over-represented in the criminal legal system.

NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: Family of Wayne Fella Morrison continue their calls for accountability and systemic change as coronial inquest continues

The coronial inquest into the death in custody of Wayne Fella Morrison resumes from 10:00am Tuesday 27th April at the Supreme Court of South Australia, Tarntanyangga/Victoria Square in Adelaide, S.A.

30 years and over 474 Black deaths – Join us on a National Day of Action on Saturday 10 April as we demand urgent action from Government to stop our people dying in custody

NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: NATSILS Appoints New Executive Officer, Dr. Hannah McGlade

NATSILS is pleased to announce the appointment of new Executive Officer, Dr. Hannah McGlade. Hannah is a Noongar human rights lawyer from Perth, Western Australia.

JOINT STATEMENT: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services call for urgent action from Government after three Black deaths in custody in one week

The National peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) have today held a meeting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) representatives from around the country, to call for urgent action from the Prime Minister and State and Territory leaders for an end to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody.