NT murder charges reform 'disgraceful'

The Northern Territory Government has come under fire over plans to make it more difficult for murder charges to be reduced to manslaughter.

An Aboriginal legal aid service has described the changes as disgraceful.

NT Attorney-General Syd Stirling says there has been a growing tendency for murder charges to be downgraded to manslaughter or doing a dangerous act in the past 30 years.

He says the changes will remove drunkenness or a person's cultural or ethnic background from being a defence to murder.

"A life's a life, no matter what colour, creed or background, race or custom that they come from," he said.

But North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency spokesman Glen Dooley says the changes ignore the fact the territory has a range of diverse cultures.

"It just seems to be ad hoc," he said.

"Whatever's the most politically available bandwagon, they're contorting their views to hop onto that bandwagon.

"Disgracefully for the Territory we seem to be the first state jumping on this politically-motivated bandwagon to try and strip away cultural and ethnic considerations in our criminal law - it's a disgrace."

The amendments will be introduced to Parliament later this month.