We represent clients charged with drug possession, cultivation, manufacture, trafficking and supply under both Northern Territory and Commonwealth law.
Our expertise in drug offences includes (but is not limited to)
- Possession of a dangerous drug
- Supply and/or trafficking
- Cultivation or manufacture
- Drug importation
- Possession of equipment or precursors
- Drug diversion and rehabilitation programs
The Northern Territory enforces some of Australia's toughest drug laws. Convictions for even small-scale possession can have lasting effects on your record, employment, and travel opportunities.
At Hubber Legal, we are experienced in handling drug-related matters ranging from minor possession to large-scale supply and trafficking. We assess the legality of search warrants, police questioning, and evidence collection to identify any errors that may invalidate the case against you.
Our goal is to secure the best possible outcome, whether that's dismissal, a reduced charge, or participation in a diversion or rehabilitation program that avoids a conviction.
The quantity usually matters more than the substance
Most people assume the seriousness of a drug charge depends on what was found. In practice, it depends far more on how much was found and what police say you were going to do with it.
Northern Territory drug legislation works on quantity thresholds. Below a certain amount, the allegation is usually possession. Above it, the law may allow the prosecution to allege supply or trafficking, sometimes without any evidence of an actual sale, because the quantity itself is treated as indicating a commercial purpose.
What happens next
If police have charged you, you will either be bailed to appear in the Local Court or held in custody for a bail application. At the first mention the charges are read and the prosecution provides its brief of evidence: the statements, forensic certificates, photographs and records they intend to rely on.
Nothing is decided at that first appearance. It is an administrative step, and you do not have to enter a plea before you have seen what the case against you actually is.
From there the matter is either resolved by a plea, contested at a hearing, or in more serious cases committed to the Supreme Court.
What is actually at stake
Beyond the sentence itself, a drug conviction can affect employment, particularly where you hold a licence, a security clearance, or work in health, education, mining or transport. It can affect visas and international travel, especially to the United States. It can affect firearms licensing and family law proceedings.
And in more serious matters, it can trigger criminal property forfeiture proceedings against your money, your vehicle and your home, a parallel process that runs alongside the criminal case and can begin before you are convicted of anything.
Property forfeiture and proceeds of crime →
How these cases are defended
Every case depends on its own evidence, but the issues that commonly arise include whether the search was lawfully conducted, whether the warrant was validly obtained and properly executed, whether the substance was correctly identified and weighed, whether the chain of custody is intact, whether the drugs can be proved to have been in your possession rather than merely present in a shared house or car, and whether the prosecution can establish an intention to supply as opposed to personal use.
Where the evidence is strong, the work shifts to sentencing, and there is a great deal that can be done there. Early guilty pleas, genuine steps toward rehabilitation, and properly prepared material about your circumstances make a real difference to the outcome.
Get advice before the interview
If police have executed a search warrant, seized property, or asked you to participate in a record of interview, get advice first. People commonly explain themselves into an admission of supply while trying to establish that the drugs were only for personal use.