DOCUMENT 1
FOI 24/25-0555
Scope and responses
Data Requests
Responses
Q1
Could you please provide information on the NDIA’s total legal costings for
$53.1 million (External AAT/ART legal costs)
the 2023-2024 financial period regarding AAT appeals?
Q2
Additional (sic), could you please provide information on the NDIA’s total
a) Total legal costing for the period 1/1/23-31/12/23
legal costings for the calendar year 2023 and the calendar year up to
for AAT appeals is $49,398,247
October 25, 2024, regarding AAT appeals?
b) Total legal costing for the period 1/1/24 -25/10/24
for AAT appeals is $47,297,169
Q3
Thirdly, could you please provide legal costs charged by externally
$59.7 million
contracted law firms for the 2023-2024 financial period?
Q4
Could you please provide information on how many in-house counsel the
The NDIA does not employ in-house counsel i.e.,
NDIA have, their involvement in AAT Proceedings and how much they are
barristers for AAT proceedings.
paid?
The NDIA does employ lawyers and paralegals –
please refer to Q7 for numbers.
Q5
Could you please provide a breakdown on how many lawyers and barristers
The NDIA does not employ in-house counsel i.e.,
the NDIA employ as in-house counsel and for the periods mentioned above? barristers for AAT proceedings.
The NDIA does employ lawyers and paralegals –
please refer to Q7 for numbers.
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FOI 24/25-0555
Data Requests
Responses
Q6
Could you please provide a breakdown on how many of these in-house
The NDIA does not employ in-house counsel for
counsel are working on AAT / ART matters and for the periods mentioned
AAT proceedings.
above?
The NDIA does employ lawyers and paralegals –
please refer to Q7 for numbers.
Q7
Could you provide a total number for how many legal practitioners (lawyers /
The NDIA has an in-house legal team and also
solicitors / barristers etc) are involved in NDIA disputes at the AAT / ART
relies on external law firms and barristers
currently and for the periods mentioned above?
(counsel) to support AAT/ART matters. The
external lawyers/barristers may not solely work on
NDIA matters so the response below relates only
to NDIA lawyers.
a) Number of NDIA lawyers involved in ART
matters for the period 1/1/23-31/12/23:
At 31 December 2023, number of APS lawyers
was 12, number of legal contractors was 24. (This
headcount of legal contractors includes 18
lawyers and 6 paralegals).
b) Number of NDIA lawyers involved in ART
matters for the period 2023/2024:
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FOI 24/25-0555
At 30 June 2024, number of APS lawyers was 13,
number of legal contractors was 53. (This
headcount of legal contractors includes 44
lawyers and 9 paralegals).
c) Number of NDIA lawyers involved in ART
matters for the period 1/1/24- 31/10/24:
At 31 October 2024, number of APS lawyers was
21 and number of legal contractors was 43 (This
headcount of legal contractors includes 34
lawyers and 9 paralegals).
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