Strengthening Canberra’s justice system

The ACT Government is delivering a stronger justice system to maintain the safety and security of our community through the 2018 Budget.

We will focus on providing better access to justice and supporting victims of crime through the National Redress Scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse. We will also invest in programs and services that help reduce re-offending and create alternative pathways for the resolution of justice matters.

Faster access to justice

The ACT Government is investing in justice services to ensure our courts can continue to operate effectively and efficiently while protecting people’s rights. This will include:

• $7.3 million for more staff and resources for the Director of Public Prosecutions to respond to complex criminal trials
• $5.4 million to appoint an additional Magistrate to assist with demand in the Magistrates Court and provide additional resources to Legal Aid and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to manage a larger case load
• $1.9 million toappoint a full-time forensic pathologist to support the ACT Coroner
• $1.1 million for a more modern and efficient online Supreme Court Jury Management System
• $740,000 to continue and expand CBR NightCrew which assists people affected by alcohol and/or drugs in the Civic nightlife precinct
• $640,000 to establish a Seniors Rights Service as part of Legal Aid to provide targeted legal services to older Canberrans who are experiencing, or vulnerable to, elder abuse
• $625,000 to plan the Government’s commitment to deliver a dedicated Drug and Alcohol court for the ACT
• $580,000 to develop a Disability Justice Strategy to recognise and respond to the disadvantage that people with disability face when dealing with the justice system and provide ongoing support for the Canberra Community Law’s Socio-Legal Practice Clinic
• $187,000 to develop Canberra as a Restorative City through events and workshops. These sessions will seek to approach social and community challenges through restoring relationships and applying restorative practices.

Supporting victims of crime

Like most of Australia, our community has been shocked and saddened by the stories told during the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse. We have supported the Commission’s recommendation to provide better support for the victims of these crimes and will deliver this in the Budget through:

• $14.2 million to contribute to the National Redress Scheme by delivering a redress payment, counselling and psychological care and a direct personal response to Canberrans who were sexually abused as children in institutions
• $84,000 to fund an additional Aboriginal Victim Liaison Officer for Victim Support ACT.

Reducing reoffending by 25 percent by 2025

The 2018 Budget delivers more rehabilitative opportunities and investment in alternative pathways to prison, including:

• $6 million to continue the Intensive Corrections Order Scheme so offenders can be diverted from full-time imprisonment to serve their sentence in the community and be rehabilitated
• $1 million to reduce reoffending by supporting initiatives which prevent crime and address offending behaviour, includingexpanding the High Density Housing Community and Safety Program and establishing Warrumbul Court in the Children’s Court to provide a culturally appropriate sentencing process for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Canberrans in the justice system.

The 2018 Budget is stepping up our investment to maintain fast and effective justice services for our growing city.

Media contact: Alexandra Craig     0466 024 520     alexandra.craig@act.gov.au