Prisoners howled in the back of court cells, screaming for help, as unprecedented arrests after law changes brought court proceedings to a halt.
In the first 24 hours since new breaches of bail laws came into effect in the Northern Territory, police arrested 31 people, causing Darwin Local Court to come to a standstill on Tuesday.
NT Legal Aid duty lawyer Laurence Waugh told Judge Greg McDonald when court began at 9.30am only three of the 31 prisoners were in court cells and lawyers were unable to seek instructions from clients.
"I mean, the idea of a court dealing with 31 people in custody in a single day is already pretty extraordinary and it's all the more challenging," he said.
