Tasmanian authorities have backed court reforms due to prolonged delays in cases
The government of the Australian state of Tasmania has agreed to fully or in principle support 19 of the 20 recommendations in a report on reducing court delays. Among the proposed changes are incentives for early guilty pleas, improvements to the courts’ IT systems, and an agreed-upon protocol for early disclosure of evidence, according to ABC News Australia.
The report was prepared by barrister Lloyd Babb. The document characterizes Tasmania’s court system as one of the least efficient in Australia. According to data from the Productivity Commission cited in the report, cases in the Tasmanian Supreme Court appear in court an average of 14 times before being resolved. This is the highest rate in the country and 30% higher than it was ten years ago.
In magistrates’ courts, the proportion of cases resolved within 12 months has fallen from 84% to 72% since 2015. Support groups for victims of domestic violence and representatives of the legal community say that the long wait is particularly painful for victims.
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Alina Thomas, director of Engender Equality, said that repeated postponements of hearings can be an additional source of trauma for victims. According to her, people often need counseling not only because of the violence they have experienced, but also because of the court proceedings themselves.
The report describes Tasmania’s evidence disclosure practices as “dysfunctional.” The document notes that there is a general consensus: the current problems with the disclosure of evidence are a central factor limiting the effectiveness and efficiency of the state’s criminal justice system.
Amelia Higgs, president of the Law Society of Tasmania, who had previously described the situation with delays as critical, characterized the report as a roadmap for change. Tasmania’s Attorney General, Guy Barnett, stated that work on implementing the proposed reforms will begin immediately.
