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: Australian children under threat as dangerous laws pass in Queensland

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services have condemned the passage of Queensland’s ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws, which will backfire and make communities more dangerous.

NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: New Queensland laws guarantee permanent harm to our children and more dangerous communities

The dangerous laws introduced in Queensland Parliament last week ignore all evidence about what works to make communities safer and reduce crime.

NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: “Jail has never once helped a child”: Day of sadness as NT pushes ahead with attack on vulnerable children

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) says the passage of new laws lowering the age of legal responsibility will increase crime and cause permanent harm to vulnerable children.

NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: Aboriginal Legal Services warn against national ‘child jail crisis’

NATSILS is bracing for a dramatic increase in child incarceration around the nation, as multiple governments shift back to failed, punitive policies and abandon commitments under Closing the Gap.

NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: Insufficient funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services will fail to close gap between need and help available

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) says the funding announced for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services today means no new services or representation will be possible.

NATSILS MEDIA RELEASE: Legal experts warn new NT Government’s punitive agenda will backfire and increase crime

The peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services has congratulated the incoming Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro for the Country Liberal Party’s clear victory, but warned that she is already on a path to make crime worse in the Northern Territory.