This report is one in a series of Australian reports published on the various types of barriers faced by Indigenous people facing legal problems. Using data from a previous nation-wide survey on civil legal needs, researchers found that Indigenous people are far more likely than others to have unresolved crime problems, and also the highest probability of unresolved crime problems. Indigenous respondents were also significantly more likely than others to have to resolve legal problems in courts, tribunals, or other dispute resolution processes, as opposed to resolving at earlier stages of the problem cycle by dealing with insurance companies, government agencies, or police.
The findings suggest that "Indigenous Australians, particularly those who are multiply disadvantaged, experience barriers to legal problem resolution." This implies that systems need to better understand how specifically the experience and resolution of crime problems is affected by Indigenous status. Also, more accessible and responsive public legal help services are needed for Indigenous people.
See also a 2014 report on Indigenous people's experience of multiple legal problems, and a 2015 report on how Indigenous people respond to legal problems