It is difficult to believe we have already reached the month of May, and the AIJA has had a busy and interesting year so far.

Firstly, I am delighted to acknowledge members of the AIJA Council for whom there have been important and worthy appointments in the past few months:

• Justice Julie Ward was appointed President of the NSW Court of Appeal. As well as being a Council member, President Ward is an AIJA Board Member and is the convenor of the Education Committee.
• Dr Jacoba Brasch QC was appointed to the Federal Circuit and Family Court - Division 1. I am grateful Dr Brasch is willing to continue on the AIJA Council until the end of her current term.
• At the end of 2021, Anthony McAvoy SC was appointed the Acting Northern Territory Treaty Commissioner, and has also been appointed counsel assisting the Yoorrook Justice Commission, the first formal truth-telling process into historical and ongoing injustices experienced by First Peoples in Victoria. Mr McAvoy SC continues as an AIJA Board Member and Convenor of the Indigenous Justice Committee.

On behalf of the AIJA Council, I congratulate these members. The Council is grateful to have the benefit of the experience of such senior members of the judiciary and the broader profession.

I would also like to acknowledge Council member and co-convenor of the Indigenous Justice Committee, Judge Dina Yehia SC, who is heading up the new Walama List in the District Court of New South Wales. The list, which is aimed at reducing high rates of Indigenous incarceration and reoffending, and which began as a pilot in November last year, was formally acknowledged in a ceremony on 4 April 2022. Judge Yehia, along with others, has worked tirelessly on this important initiative and I am looking forward to hearing about its progress.

In March I had the pleasure of presenting the AIJA Award for Excellence to Court Services Victoria (CSV) for its valuable ‘Self-Determination Plan’ The Plan sets out the expectations of CSV to create a Koori inclusive environment for staff, Koori agencies and the Koori Community in Victoria. The award was accepted on behalf of Court Services Victoria by the Chief Justice of Victoria, the Hon Anne Ferguson. Further details of the event are provided here.I would like to express our gratitude to the President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal for hosting the 10th AIJA Appellate Judge’s Conference on 21-22 April 2022. Any papers that are made available from the conference will be posted on the AIJA website.

On 30 April, three judicial members of the AIJA made a substantial panel presentation to the Australian Bar Association Conference. The panel comprised the Hon. Janine Pritchard (chair), President, State Administrative Tribunal of Western Australia, The Hon. Sally Fitzgerald, Judge of the High Court of New Zealand and Judge Dina Yehia SC, Judge of the District Court of New South Wales on ‘Views of remote advocates and advocacy from the Bench’. I congratulate those members of Council and Board member Dr Matt Collins AM QC, President of the ABA on an excellent session and conference. In terms of the months ahead, I am very excited about the AIJA Indigenous Youth Justice Conference, which will take place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October 2022 in Sydney. The AIJA Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 28 October and the Board is keen for this weekend to be an opportunity to gather in person after such a long absence. Further details about the conference will be available shortly, and it promises to be a program of timely and interesting discussions on critical matters relating to Indigenous youth justice.

I look forward to meeting as many of our AIJA members there as possible. Finally the AIJA’s immediate past President, the Hon. Justice Steven Rares is representing the AIJA on the steering committee of an event being planned with the Australian Academy of Law and the Australian Law Journal to take place 8-10 September 2023 to celebrate 200 years of the New South Wales and Tasmanian Supreme Courts.

We look forward to the program unfolding. You may wish to save the date in your 2023 calendar.

I hope you enjoy this edition of the AIJA Newsletter.

The Honourable Justice Jenny Blokland
President
The Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration

FEATURED NEWS

Ceremony to celebrate the 2021 AIJA Award for Excellence in Judicial Administration: Court Services Victoria

Left to Right - Chief Justice Anne Ferguson, Dhumba Murmuk Djerring team – Traysy Kay, Melissa Harrison, Kylie McCaw – Magistrate Rose Falla, Dr Matt Collins

The Award for Excellence was created in 2002 to celebrate 25 years of AIJA’s establishment. It recognises members and organisations that have made an exceptional contribution to the administration of justice in Australia and New Zealand.

The 2021 award winner was Court Services Victoria for the development and implementation of their 'Self-Determination Plan 2021-2025' and an award ceremony was held on Friday 19 March 2022. READ MORE

Official Ceremony for NSW District Court Walama List

The Walama List, which aims to reduce Indigenous incarceration and reoffending, by providing Indigenous offenders with a more culturally specific sentencing process was marked with an official ceremonial sitting in the NSW District Court on 4 April 2022.

The Walama List will be headed up by District Court Judge Dina Yehia SC, who is also a member of the Council of the AIJA. To view the Ceremonial Sitting, please click to watch.

FEATURED EVENTS

ICCE Conference Report
15-16 March 2022

Join us for the AIJA's 2022 Indigenous Youth Justice Conference in October as esteemed panellists and speakers focus on a range of topics including:
•         Age of criminal responsibility
•         Brain Development and Intergenerational Trauma
•         Significance of culture to well-being, healing and rehabilitation
•         Bail Laws
•         Gender Diversity
•         Young people with disability in the criminal justice system
•         And more

UPDATES

Judicial Commission of Victoria: Judicial Conduct Guideline on Sexual Harassment

The Law Institute of Victoria recently published an article on the final report on the ‘Inquiry into Victoria’s Criminal Justice System’ which was tabled in Parliament in March. The report is the culmination of extensive consultation with those involved in the criminal justice system, including peak legal bodies. The Law Institute of Victoria welcomed the report which included many recommendations from its own submissions to see a fairer, more rehabilitative justice system.  READ MORE

JOURNAL OF JUDICAL ADMINISTRATION