Page 3267 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 17 September 2013
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MR CORBELL: I thank Dr Bourke for his question. I am very pleased to say that recent data for the last 12 months of operations of the ACT Supreme Court confirm that we have seen a 45 per cent average reduction in waiting time for a matter to be heard in the Supreme Court. This is very good news. It confirms that the government’s strategy of putting in place better case management, the blitz on outstanding matters and the introduction of a docket system are all delivering significant results.
As a result, we see the backlog of cases pending for more than a year decreasing. In 2012-13, there were 92 criminal matters awaiting finalisation for more than a year. That is down 47 per cent on the previous year, when there were 174 taking more than a year for completion. Civil matters have also dropped by 31 per cent over the same period for the same measure.
This really does highlight that the government’s emphasis on improving work processes is capable of delivering significant results with the same resources. This, of course, has always been the government’s argument. Our court is not a busy court. Indeed, the number of criminal lodgements in the last 12 months before the Supreme Court dropped by over a quarter. This is not an indicator that workload in the Supreme Court continues to increase; indeed, quite the contrary. Therefore, measures to improve work practice and case management within the court are capable of delivering significant results.
I am pleased to confirm to members that we have seen a 45 per cent reduction in the average waiting time for matters being heard before the court. The government will continue to work with the court in ensuring that we see further improvement on top of these excellent results. I look forward to working with our new Chief Justice when she takes up her position in October, welcoming her to the ACT and working with her and drawing on her extensive experience as a judge of the NSW District Court in further improving the efficiency and operations of the ACT Supreme Court.
MADAM SPEAKER: Supplementary question, Dr Bourke?
DR BOURKE: Attorney, what can this reduction in delays be attributed to?
MADAM SPEAKER: Sorry, Dr Bourke, I did not hear anything that you said. Can you try that again.
DR BOURKE: Attorney, what can this reduction in delays be attributed to?
MR CORBELL: As I outlined earlier, the introduction of case management has made a big difference. What that means is that there is more dedicated control on the part of individual judges on their lists. So rather than matters slipping to another judge at each individual instance, the case is maintained with a single judge throughout. That provides a discipline on both parties before the judge to make sure they are meeting time frames, they are ready to go when the date for hearing is scheduled, and there are fewer unexpected adjournments or delays. And equally, at the same time, it means that if a matter is not able to proceed because it settles or because it is vacated for
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