Darwin lawyer Marty Aust normally spends many days a year travelling long distances to remote Indigenous communities on the trail of the NT's circuit court system known locally as bush courts.

Key points: Bush courts have been shut down due to coronavirus restrictions

Bush courts have been shut down due to coronavirus restrictions Lawyers say a build-up of cases during the shutdown could overload the system once it reopens

Lawyers say a build-up of cases during the shutdown could overload the system once it reopens Bush courts offer remote residents access to justice proceedings from their home communities

But with bush courts suspended as a result of coronavirus travel restrictions to remote communities, Mr Aust believes justice for Indigenous people in remote areas is "grinding to a halt".

Mr Aust, who is the president of the NT Criminal Lawyers Association, said while some in-custody matters are continuing, most other cases have been adjourned.

"The reality is that things are sort of coming to a grinding halt where these matters are being adjourned, because you just cannot facilitate ongoing contact in the absence of interpreters and access to the clients physically," Mr Aust said.

The NT's circuit courts rotate through more than 30 remote Aboriginal communities each year.

Bush courts give remote residents access to criminal proceedings and custodial matters from their home communities, as opposed to travelling to major hubs such as Darwin, Alice Springs or Tennant Creek.

Bush Court handles dozens of cases in one community over a few days before moving to the next location. ( ABC News: David Lewis )

The system also allows civil, domestic violence and care and protection of children cases to be dealt with locally.

For bush court hearings, lawyers and judges go on the road often driving or travelling in light planes for court sittings in remote communities, where they often deal with large caseloads in limited time.

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"It's a big rigmarole — you've got eight or nine people out there that aren't ordinarily there, everybody knows that court's on; it's quite a big deal," Mr Aust said.

"It is long hours, it is hard work and it is in many cases traumatic and confronting for all participants.

"At times, even when it's at its best, you feel like you're at breaking point."

Courts connect mainstream law to communities

North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) principal legal officer David Woodroffe said the system was designed to ensure every Territorian had fair access to justice regardless of their postcode.

"Bush courts are the most important legal work that's done in the nation," he said.

"It really is that connection between Aboriginal communities and the mainstream legal system."

But changes to all court systems in the NT have been made as a result of the coronavirus threat.

Lawyers have voiced concerns bush court hearings could lose out to digital court appearances when restrictions lift. ( ABC News: David Lewis )

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 reaching vulnerable Australians in outback NT communities, non-essential travel to Aboriginal towns has been banned and bush court hearings cancelled until at least June 1.

Instead of the courts travelling to communities, which would usually happen once a month, most remote matters are being adjourned to be dealt with once restrictions are lifted.

Today marks three weeks since a coronavirus case was recorded in the NT, but the NT Government has no firm plans in place to relax the Territory's coronavirus restrictions and legal practitioners are concerned the cancellations will continue.

In the interim, lawyers fear already hectic bush court hearings will become unmanageable as unheard cases build up.

They are calling for additional funding to be allocated to allow for longer remote sittings once the remote circuit courts resume.

Mr Woodroffe said the changes present an opportunity to invest in remote justice.

"The big lesson is that there hasn't been enough investment in our bush courts, and it's time that we do need to think about the future," he said.

NT Attorney-General Natasha Fyles declined to say whether the Government would consider requests for additional funding.

"I have recently met with both the Chief Justice and Chief Judge. I have confidence in the steps they are taking to manage these unprecedented times," Ms Fyles said.

There are also concerns within the legal sector that the temporary system — with matters heard via videoconference — would stay in place.

"The key principle to real justice is to be able to have those persons being tried and held to account in their own communities," Mr Aust said.

"Not just having fines or sentences or jail terms being sent down by some face on a screen."

In custody matters continuing

Mr Aust said some matters have still been dealt with via telephone or video link to major centres, such as Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs.

But between poor phone connection and language barriers in communities where English is often not a first language, lawyers are struggling to contact witnesses and clients.

Bush court rotates through 30 communities in the Territory. ( ABC News: Hamish Harty )

"Unfortunately, what's happening with many of those matters is, despite best efforts, the witnesses can't be located or appear and then it has to be decided whether the matter has to be adjourned and the person bailed back to the community, or whether the matter should be withdrawn," Mr Aust said.

"If that determination is made, it makes it more difficult for justice to be seen to be occurring for those witnesses or alleged victims."

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Mr Woodroffe said domestic violence services and care and protection officers have still been able to access remote communities, but that there was a lot of pressure on those essential workers.

"People's legal problems don't just go away," he said.

"It is important that we still strive to maintain access to communities and establish connections with people on the ground who are taking their time to make sure people are coming forward with their issues."