Page 2609 - Week 07 - Thursday, 1 August 2019
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MR RAMSAY: I thank Ms Cody for the question and for her interest in this important area of restorative justice and therapeutic justice.
The appointment of the Chief Magistrate, Lorraine Walker, to lead our new drug and alcohol court means that this new service will begin with a wealth of local knowledge and experience. As the Chief Magistrate, Ms Walker has been a leader in focusing on youth justice and therapeutic jurisprudence.
The new initiative will require leadership and coordination across a full range of services in our justice and health systems. The community sector, police, lawyers, corrections and health staff will all have an important role to play. Her Honour’s passion for bringing in restorative justice and a restorative approach to the court will help to foster the right culture for success.
In developing the model that we have in the ACT, the government has also looked closely at other jurisdictions. A key message that came through was that the commitment and the experience of the judiciary are absolutely crucial to a drug court that successfully treats addiction. I personally saw this in play in the Parramatta Drug Court, where Judge Roger Dive’s commitment and leadership bring together a host of legal, social and health services. It was very clear that judicial leadership is a critical component in a successful drug court.
Breaking the cycle of addiction will lead to reduced crime and stronger individuals, stronger families and a stronger community. We are very fortunate that here in the ACT we have an excellent judiciary with the skills, experience and commitment to our community to make this new program a strong success.
MS CODY: Minister, can you detail the resources the government has provided to help the new court and the new judge succeed in reducing recidivism?
MR RAMSAY: I thank Ms Cody for the supplementary question. The government has invested $6.83 million over 3½ years in 2018-19 to support the drug and alcohol court. That funding is supporting corrections, health and legal professionals to prepare and implement a first-rate justice service in Canberra. I anticipate that the court will begin sitting by the end of this year, and the recent appointments and the policy development work represent important milestones towards a very successful start.
Our new Supreme Court building is another important component. In addition to the state-of-the art facilities to support vulnerable witnesses and victims of crime, the new building will have onsite urinalysis facilities. The government’s investment in this important new service has capitalised on our outstanding local expertise.
We are very privileged to have as our Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Her Honour Helen Murrell, who presided over the first New South Wales drug court. Her leadership of the Supreme Court working group has been instrumental in crafting this policy. Of course, in selecting the acting judge who will preside we looked at our local bench for expertise in therapeutic justice, and we found a strong leader in Chief Magistrate Walker.
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