Complaints & Discrimination

Free legal help for women & non-binary persons
What are complaints?
A complaint is a statement that you can make about something that has been unacceptable or unsatisfactory for you. Complaints can be about someone not following the rules, someone being treated unfairly, or other things.
People can make complaints about lots of different things in different ways. Generally, the most common requests for legal advice are for complaints about:
- Police
- Health services
- Government services
- Banks
- Consumer providers (such as a rental company or pawnbroker/second-hand retailer)
- Being treated unfairly or discriminated against.
A lawyer can help you to determine what type of complaint is appropriate for your situation.
What is discrimination?
You can also make a complaint about being treated unfairly because of an attribute such as your race, gender, age, sexuality, pregnancy and/or experiences of domestic, family, and sexual violence – complaints about this type of unfair treatment are called “discrimination” complaints.
Importantly, discrimination is only against the law in the NT if the unfair treatment happens in certain areas of life, such as work and accessing goods, services, and facilities. Everyone has the right to equal opportunity.
When should I get help with complaints and discrimination?
You might want to seek legal help if you answer “yes” to any of the below questions:
- Has an individual, organisation, or a Government Department treated you unfairly?
- Have you been discriminated against and need to make a complaint?
- Has something happened with Police that you want to make a complaint about?
- Have you seen a private lawyer and you want to make a complaint about their services?

Free legal help for women & non-binary persons