15 Influential Leaders in Law in Northern Territory

Last updated: 6 August 2026

Law in the Northern Territory is shaped by courts, government legal offices, professional bodies, community services, universities and the independent bar.

These 15 people are useful names to know if you work in the Territory's legal profession, justice system, legal education or access to justice sector.

The people to know

1. Michael Grant

Chief Justice, Supreme Court of the Northern Territory

Michael Grant is Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. His official profile says he took the role in July 2016 after serving as Solicitor-General, Director of Litigation and Solicitor for the Northern Territory. That path gives him a clear view of government, advocacy and the bench.

His leadership also reaches beyond the courtroom. The profile records his teaching in torts and taxation law at Charles Darwin University, special tutoring for Indigenous students and appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2021. He is a useful name to follow when legal leadership, public institutions and professional standards meet.

2. Stephen Southwood

Justice, Supreme Court of the Northern Territory

Stephen Southwood has served as a judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory since 2005. The court profile also identifies him as Chairperson of the Northern Territory Parole Board, placing his work close to questions about sentencing, release and the practical operation of the justice system.

Southwood is also a significant professional voice beyond his chamber. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and a former President of the Law Council of Australia, the first Northern Territory lawyer to hold that role. His earlier presidency of the Law Society adds a strong professional leadership thread.

3. Judith Kelly

Justice, Supreme Court of the Northern Territory

Judith Kelly has been a judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory since August 2009. Her court profile records a long connection with the Territory, beginning with teaching at Batchelor Area School after she arrived in 1977. That local grounding sits alongside a substantial legal career.

Kelly studied law after her years in education, was admitted in 1985 and developed a practice focused on commercial litigation before taking silk in 2008. Her story is a reminder that legal influence can grow through steady local service, deep technical work and the confidence to move between community and courtroom roles.

4. Jenny Blokland

Justice and Aboriginal Land Commissioner, Supreme Court of the Northern Territory

Jenny Blokland is a Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory and an Aboriginal Land Commissioner. Her official profile also records earlier roles as Chief Magistrate, Director of Legal Policy, General Counsel to the Director of Public Prosecutions and Dean of the Faculty of Law at NTU and Charles Darwin University.

That mix of judicial, policy, education and land work makes Blokland especially relevant to the Territory's legal landscape. She has also led the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration and is a patron of Women Lawyers NT and the Asian Lawyers Association NT, connecting legal practice with professional development.

5. Meredith Day Huntingford

Justice, Supreme Court of the Northern Territory

Meredith Day Huntingford has been a judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory since June 2024, after serving as an acting judge. Her official profile traces a long Territory career, including private practice, teaching at Charles Darwin University and senior legal work for the Northern Territory Government.

She served as Director of Litigation at the Solicitor for the Northern Territory, Deputy CEO of the Justice division in the Attorney-General's Department and then a Local Court judge. Her move through practice, administration and the bench gives her a distinctive perspective on how legal systems work day to day.

6. Vince Luppino

Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the Northern Territory

Vince Luppino is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. The court profile explains that his work includes interlocutory applications, case management, mediations, damages matters and orders under laws including the Corporations Act and Family Law Act.

That role is influential because much of a court's practical work happens before a final trial or judgment. Luppino sits close to the decisions that shape how matters are prepared, narrowed and resolved. For lawyers and clients, his jurisdiction shows how legal leadership includes process, fairness and disciplined case management.

7. Craig Smyth

Acting Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the Northern Territory

Craig Smyth is an Acting Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, appointed to the role in February 2025. His official profile says he previously spent more than two decades with the Solicitor for the Northern Territory, including time as Director of Litigation.

Smyth's background also includes a first-class honours law degree and University Medal from the Northern Territory University, acting as CEO of the Attorney-General's Department and service as Secretary of the Northern Territory Council of Law Reporting. It is a career built across government legal practice, administration and the court.

8. Nikolai Christrup

Solicitor-General for the Northern Territory

Nikolai Christrup SC is the current Solicitor-General for the Northern Territory. The Attorney-General's Department describes the role as an independent source of high-level legal advice to the Attorney-General, executive government, Cabinet Office and, when requested, Parliament and its committees.

Christrup also acts as counsel for the Crown and serves as the statutory supervisor of the legal profession in the Territory. The department records that he was admitted in 1999, called to the bar in 2004 and appointed Senior Counsel in 2018, after more than 15 years at William Forster Chambers.

9. Marie-Clare Boothby

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Northern Territory Government

Marie-Clare Boothby is the Northern Territory's Attorney-General and Minister for Justice. Her official Parliament profile places her in the ministry responsible for the Territory's legal and justice portfolio, making her a central public decision-maker for courts, legal services and law reform.

Her role is influential because it sits where policy, legislation and public administration meet. In a Territory legal system that spans Darwin, Alice Springs and remote communities, the Attorney-General's choices can affect resourcing, access to justice and the way legal institutions respond to local needs.

10. Bernadette Raumteen

2026 President and Barrister, Law Society of the Northern Territory

Bernadette Raumteen is the 2026 President of the Law Society of the Northern Territory and a practising barrister. The Society's contact page confirms her current leadership role, while the Supreme Court's opening of the 2026 Legal Year described her as a product of the Territory's own legal talent.

Her chamber profile adds a useful professional story. Raumteen studied law and arts at Charles Darwin University, moved from banking into practice and developed experience in commercial and civil litigation, including contractual disputes, banking, trusts, negligence and construction matters. Her leadership combines local roots with broad practice experience.

11. Aislinn McIntyre

Chief Executive Officer, Law Society of the Northern Territory

Aislinn McIntyre is the Chief Executive Officer of the Law Society of the Northern Territory. The Society identifies the CEO as the person who handles media requests, while its current contact page places McIntyre alongside the President in the organisation's public leadership structure.

Her work also connects Territory practice with national professional standards. The Law Council of Australia's current Professional Ethics Committee lists McIntyre as the Northern Territory member. That combination of local executive responsibility and national ethics work makes her a useful name to know in conversations about regulation, conduct and public confidence.

12. Ben Grimes

Chief Executive Officer, North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency

Ben Grimes is the Chief Executive Officer of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, or NAAJA. The agency's appointment announcement describes him as a lawyer and linguist with experience leading the Aboriginal Rapid Response Service and working on legal and justice communication in the Northern Territory.

His background includes teaching at Charles Darwin University, leading an Indigenous pre-law programme and working with the Aboriginal Interpreter Service. That mix matters because legal leadership in the Territory must work across language, culture, geography and access. Grimes is a strong name to follow in community-centred justice.

13. Catherine Voumard

Director, Legal Aid Northern Territory

Catherine Voumard is the Director of Legal Aid Northern Territory. A Northern Territory Government announcement recorded her appointment in 2025 and described her as an experienced legal professional taking on the role to lead the organisation's next phase of service and operational work.

National Legal Aid lists Voumard among its directors, giving her a place in the national legal assistance network as well as the Territory system. Legal Aid NT's own parliamentary submissions show her organisation engaging directly with proposed laws and practical court impacts, a useful window into leadership shaped by frontline access to justice.

14. Cameron Ford

President, Northern Territory Bar Association and Senior Counsel

Dr Cameron Ford OAM SC is President of the Northern Territory Bar Association. The official opening of the 2026 Legal Year identifies him in that role, while Bar Association material records his appointment as Senior Counsel and his long association with the independent bar in the Territory.

Ford's public professional profile spans commercial litigation, arbitration and international practice, including work connected with Australia and Singapore. He has also contributed to the Territory's legal record through editorial and professional roles. That blend of advocacy, governance and international perspective makes him an influential voice at the bar.

15. Trevor Riley

Chancellor, Charles Darwin University and former Chief Justice

The Honourable Trevor Riley AO KC is Chancellor of Charles Darwin University and a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. The Territory Bar Association has highlighted his legal service and his appointment as CDU's fifth Chancellor.

Riley's current university role keeps him connected to the Territory's education and professional pipeline, while his judicial background gives him a long view of legal institutions. He is a useful bridge between the people who teach, govern and practise law across northern Australia.

Keep exploring

If you are building a leadership team around complex work, you may also find these Consult Clarity resources useful: Working Genius culture guide and the leadership category.

The list is a starting point, not a ranking. Roles change, so check the linked profiles and organisations before using any name for a current brief.

Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and the author of Step Up or Step Out. He works with schools, corporates and nonprofits around the world. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.