Justice Reform Enters Next Phase
Dispute resolution, reducing the cost of justice and the better use and sharing of court resources have been emphasised in the Victorian government’s Justice Statement 2.
Justice Statement 2 contains 35 projects under five separate headings – Modernising justice, protecting rights, addressing disadvantage, reducing the cost of justice and creating an engaged and unified court system – which are aimed at updating and modernising Victoria’s justice system.
The Statement, which was released late last year, continues the government’s ongoing justice reform program which began with the release of Justice Statement 1 in May 2004.
Projects include simplifying and modernising a number of outdated laws including property law and fences legislation, an overhaul of Victoria’s equal opportunity laws to address systemic discrimination and a boost to services for victims of crime.
Victorian Deputy Premier and Attorney-General Rob Hulls said a series of initiatives would focus on expanding alternative dispute resolution (ADR), which he has called appropriate dispute resolution.
“Mediation in the community will be encouraged and, if people do need to go to court, the courts will continue to seek out better ways to identify the core issues in dispute and resolve them using ADR,” Mr Hulls said.
The Victorian government intends to further modernise the court system by introducing a single Act for the Supreme, County and Magistrates’ Courts.
“Courts are more efficient when resources are shared. A single Act will help our courts work together across jurisdictions and help them manage change and improve performance,” Mr Hulls said.
Youth justice and the development of a state-wide model for problem-solving courts to address the causes of crime and reduce reoffending are other aims of Justice Statement 2.
The government will examine the development of youth peer justice panels as a diversionary option for low-level youth offending.
The problem-solving courts will build on the success of the Drug Court, Family Violence Courts, the Neighbourhood Justice Centre and Koori Courts.
“We will focus in particular on developing new approaches to addressing the problems of people whose offending is associated with mental illness,” Mr Hulls said.
“We need to be looking at new approaches to address mental illness in the criminal justice system.”
Two reviews will inform a major overhaul of Victoria’s equal opportunity laws and reinvigorate the role of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.
For more information about Justice Statement 2, see www.justice.vic.gov.au/justicestatement
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