Supreme Court

Chief Executive Officer: Nerida Johnston

• Serves as the superior court of general jurisdiction in the State.
• Hears criminal trials of the most serious nature.
• Has unlimited jurisdiction in civil disputes.
• Has appellate jurisdiction in criminal and civil matters.

Principal Courts Administrator: Claude Wotton

• Serves as the intermediate court in NSW and is the largest trial court in Australia.
• Has an appellate jurisdiction.
• Deals with all offences except treason, piracy and murder in its criminal jurisdiction.
• Has an unlimited civil jurisdiction in relation to motor vehicle accidents and up to $750,000 for general actions.
• Deals with claims for equitable recovery of money or damages up to $750,000, and applications under the Defacto Relationships Act, the Family Provisions Act and the Testator Family Maintenance and Guardianship of Infants Act up to $250,000.

Director: Lyn Baker

• Deals with committal hearings, the majority of criminal and summary prosecutions, civil claims matters (under $40,000) and some family law matters.
• Hears juvenile prosecutions and deals with care matters for young people (under 16) at specialist Children’s Courts.
• Deals with deaths which are examinable by the Coroner and the investigation of serious fires at the specialist Coroner’s Courts.

Registrar: Lupcho Dafkovski

• Deals with matters of civil enforcement and summary criminal enforcement in regard to environmental planning and protection.
• Hears and determines appeals against building and development applications, land valuations, compensation claims for land resumption, and claims and disputes arising from the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983.

Principal Courts Administrator: Giulia Inga

• Compensation Court of NSW resolves disputes arising under Workers Compensation Act 1987 and the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 and other matters involving compensation for work related injury or disease.
• Dust Diseases Tribunal of NSW has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine claims for damages by persons injured by exposure to asbestos or suffering from other dust related conditions.

Registrar: Greg Robertson

• Conciliates and arbitrates to resolve industrial disputes.
• Makes industrial awards and approves enterprise agreements to set conditions of employment and wages.
• Decides claims of unfair dismissal.
• Hears prosecutions under various industrial laws (including the more serious breaches of Occupational Health and Safety legislation) and deals with civil matters under those laws.

Registrar: Cathy Szczygielski

• Reviews administrative decisions made by public bodies or officials where permitted by legislation.
• Also resolves grievances in:
  - Disciplinary proceedings relating to certain professions;
  - Equal opportunity complaints under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977; and
  - Disputes under the Retail Leases Act 1994.

Supreme Court

The judgments of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal were made available on the Internet this year. This new service, launched on 1 January 1999, provides lawyers and the public with quick and easy access to judgments at www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/caselaw/.

To promote understanding and access to justice, the Supreme Court also launched a series of information brochures describing procedures, services and its role in the NSW legal system. During the reporting year, five brochures were published with more to come in the coming year.

Registry counter staff served 62,205 customers during the year, an average of 254 customers per working day. Service time to these customers has improved this year, with 93 per cent of customers served within 15 minutes of arrival.

A total of 21,811 probate applications were lodged with the Court during the year. Most grants were made within two days of receipt and fully prepared and posted within a further four days. This compares favourably with similar jurisdictions elsewhere and has been maintained for 10 years. This work involving wills and estates is the most common form of interaction between the general community and the Supreme Court.


District Court

The Sydney District Registry at John Maddison Tower was refurbished to enable staff to provide more efficient and timely service to clients. The counter area has been almost doubled in size and now offers better access for clients.

Extra room has been created for clients using wheelchairs and a new electronic queuing system installed to assist the registry to monitor waiting times and better deploy staff to meet service demands. A Qmaster telephone queuing system was also installed featuring recorded messages and facilities to redirect calls to available extensions. A TTY telephone system for the hearing impaired is now available and special access toilets for people with disabilities have been installed on Level 17 and 18. Appropriate cases are listed on these floors or as close to them as possible.

The court continues to employ a Client Services Coordinator to independently examine and monitor complaints concerning registry services. A client feedback form and a notice to clients on how to resolve problems was drafted for implementation in the next reporting year. A Change Manager has also been appointed to review and enhance client services.

Key personnel attended a “Train the Trainer” course for working with clients with an intellectual disability during the year. Those who attended will not only be able to properly assist these clients, but also impart their skills to other staff.

This year, the Local and District Courts trialed a pilot scheme of integrating the Local and District court registry services at Liverpool and Campbelltown. The pilot was very successful and, as a result, both staff and work at all District Court registries in Sydney West have been integrated into the local courthouse, providing a “one-stop shop” for all users of court services.


Local Courts

Local Courts continued its commitment to improving client service by conducting various reviews, trials and training courses for staff.

The Chamber Magistrate service in Local Courts was reviewed this year. As a result of the review, strategies are being developed to improve awareness and access to these services.

A peer review process which allows courts to measure their client service performance against established standards and benchmarks was trialed at six Local Courts. The process was developed by a Local Courts team and the University of Wollongong. As a result of the trials, a simplified review format will be developed and distributed to all Local Courts to help them improve service delivery.

Almost 300 Local Court staff received client service training during the year which was provided at 20 locations across NSW. Training covered responsive service delivery, accountability, communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, and complaint handling.

More outreach services were introduced to communities across the State. These services are designed to meet the needs of clients who face barriers in directly accessing the local court. Barriers include poor or no public transport facilities in remote and isolated areas, mobility problems resulting from age, disability or financial disadvantage, and associated physical and emotional barriers for some Aboriginal communities.

Local Courts continued to host Government Access Centres at Grenfell, Oberon and Maclean. These centres provide services on behalf of several government agencies from the one location, improving the accessibility of government services to people living in remote areas.

A Domestic Violence Client Service project was initiated this year to develop standards to ensure that courts provide responsive services which assist victims of domestic violence to obtain appropriate protection orders. Guidelines and a comprehensive training program will ensure effective implementaion of the standards.

The Director General signed an Ethnic Affairs Agreement this year with the NSW Police Service and the Ethnic Affairs Commission. The agreement aims to improve services to clients from diverse cultural backgrounds in local courts. It allows police to book interpreters for people appearing in court, ensuring that matters are not adjourned and people who are refused bail do not remain in custody longer than is necessary because an interpreter is not available.

This initiative is likely to reduce court waiting times and lessen the inconvenience and distress experienced by defendants, witnesses and victims of crime. It should also reduce the number of times that police and other justice agency staff are required to attend courts in relation to criminal matters.

Local Courts and the Police Service have also been trialing “fast fax” and email services to reduce police attendance times and free up police to focus on community policing. This will be expanded to 100 courts by December 1999.


Land and Environment Court

The Court Users’ Group at the Land and Environment Court met three times this year. This group was established by the Chief Judge and allows stakeholders to discuss issues relating to the Court.

Several members of the registry staff formed a quality team to look at creating a comprehensive procedures manual outlining registry practices and procedures. This manual will improve the efficiency of the registry and help it to focus on providing better customer service.

During the year, the Court also continued to promote alternative dispute resolution procedures and, as a result, conciliation conferences were increasingly used as an alternative to traditional litigation.


Compensation Court and Dust Diseases Tribunal

The Compensation Court improved the listing arrangements for medical panel services, registering a reduction in the waiting time for interpreter assisted medical panels in Sydney to an average of 12 to 14 weeks. This brought the listing of Sydney medical panel operations in line with panel scheduling in Newcastle.

The waiting time for transcripts has also dropped at the Compensation Court and Dust Diseases Tribunal with the introduction of transcripts on computer diskette.

Both the Court and Tribunal improved signage within the John Maddison Tower in Sydney, enhancing access for all clients.


Industrial Relations Commission

The Industrial Relations Commission significantly improved its dealing with industrial matters (including unfair dismissal matters). Since 1998, matters have been allocated either directly by the registry to a Member of the Commission or to a Panel headed by a Judicial Member of the Commission.

Further changes were discussed with the User Group relating to small money claims, the processing of long matters and claims relating to unfair contracts. The User Group also considered a number of procedures for unfair dismissal and other matters and will discuss these further in the next reporting year.

The registry progressed its computerisation, increasing the reliability of statistical information. This allows for more informed decisions to be taken on changes to listing procedures.
Key judgments were made available on the Internet which is a major service improvement for the industrial community. The Commission expanded its web site and plans to add its Practice Directions and update its decisions on-line more regularly in the next reporting year.


The Administrative Decisions Tribunal

The Administrative Decisions Tribunal uses a variety of dispute resolution options to resolve grievances. It seeks to liaise closely with unrepresented parties and facilities are being reviewed to ensure that they are reasonable for people with disabilities. Regional demands are met through county sittings, assignment of country judicial officers to hear cases and through remote conferencing techniques.


Consultation and participation

The Supreme Court

The registry is reviewing its services and has prepared a survey to gain feedback from court users. This is part of an overall review by senior administrators of NSW court and tribunal services. The information will be used to develop strategies to meet the most important needs of court users.

Continuing liaison with stakeholders identifies important issues arising in particular areas of judicial administration. The user group associated with the Commercial List was instrumental in preparing the Court’s practice note on use of technology in civil litigation.

The Supreme Court celebrated its 175th anniversary in May with an “open weekend” and exhibition demonstrating aspects of the Court’s work and history. The activities culminated in a ceremonial sitting of the Court featuring an address by Aunty Ali Golding, a Biripi Elder adopted by the Eora people.


The District Court

The District Court continued its collaborative and consultative approach to developing and refining operations and services. The Court used a number of established committees to review and recommend improvements to processes at the Court. Committees include the Rule Committee, Civil Court Users Committee, Civil Listing Review Committee, Criminal Listing Review Committee, Registry User Group, as well as an Ad Hoc Committee.

Representatives from the judiciary, court administrators and other interested parties make up the various committees. Interested parties include the NSW Bar Association, NSW Law Society, Commonwealth and State Offices of the Director of Public Prosecutions, NSW Legal Aid Commission, Senior Public Defender’s Office, Insurance Council of Australia, and registration clerks.


Local Courts

Local Courts surveyed court users at all NSW courts over a one week period in September. Users were asked to indicate their level of satisfaction with opening hours, waiting times, court environment and safety and the level of assistance and information provided by staff.

Local Courts Regional coordinators participated in the Premier’s Department’s Regional Coordination Program to improve information sharing, collaboration and cooperation at a local level. An example was the Shared Vision Workshop which brought together Aboriginal elders and members of the Bandjalung Aboriginal people with senior representatives from government agencies in the Northern region of the state. The workshop, coordinated by the Premier’s Department and the Centre for Indigenous Peoples at Southern Cross University, provided a forum to discuss how services to Aboriginal people could be better coordinated and made more responsive to local needs.

An ongoing Justice working group was formed for justice agencies in the Northern region to share information and provide a mechanism for consultation with Aboriginal elders and community representatives.


Compensation Court and Dust Diseases Tribunal

This year the Compensation Court’s Practitioner Consultation Program was expanded to Newcastle and the Dust Diseases Tribunal introduced regular practitioner forums. The Court addressed access to case information by making computer generated case summary sheets available to parties. Court listing arrangements in Sydney and Newcastle for cases before registrars were varied to better meet the needs of Sydney based practitioners. As part of the Court’s consultative program, the Registrar attended legal conferences organised for plaintiff lawyers and employer organisations. The Registrar presented a paper dealing with practice and procedure and participated in panel discussions.

Selected edited judgments of the Court and the Tribunal, which also appear in the NSW Compensation Court Reports, were also published on the Internet.


Industrial Relations Commission

The Industrial Relations Commission held informal meetings with parties that appear before it, seeking their views on the Commission’s service. In addition, the Commission invited speakers from major groups to present papers at its annual conference. This included major employer organisations and unions. Various community groups also addressed the Commission.

The Commission established a Users’ Group in November 1998, comprising representatives from various employers, government agencies, unions, solicitors, barristers and other organisations such as groups representing people with disabilities and ethnic communities. The full User Group provides a forum where concerns of the people appearing before, or affected by, the Commission can be discussed.

The Users’ Group has already established a number of sub-committees to look at a variety of issues. These include proposed changes to section 106 proceedings, changes to listing procedures for unfair dismissal proceedings and introducing procedures to deal equitably with long matters.


Administrative Decisions Tribunal

Members of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal (ADT) were involved in community and legal profession education through the preparation of papers and presentations at seminars.

The ADT’s homepage on the Department’s website provided access to the Tribunal’s decisions in significant matters. The site will be updated during 1999 to allow the public to offer feedback on the Tribunal’s services. The Rules Committee also enables formal public consultation on proposed rules.


Management of criminal cases and civil disputes

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court completed screening its entire Common Law Division civil caseload and, in accordance with legislation, transferred appropriate cases to the District Court. The cases remaining in the Supreme Court are now the more complex or publicly important ones.

Delays in criminal trials were reduced to a four-year low, with the average wait dropping by three months during 1998/99. To reduce delay for criminal trials, judicial sitting time was diverted from civil cases to criminal cases. Additional criminal sitting time was provided through enhanced Treasury funding of nearly $134,000.

The Court initiated an arraignment process for criminal cases to move them through the Court more quickly. The listing of back-up trials is also being tested so that as much judicial time as possible can be directed to hearing criminal trials.

For standard Common Law Division civil cases, hearing dates were still able to be offered within two months of the cases becoming ready for hearing, despite the diversion of civil sitting time to criminal cases.

A specialist list for professional negligence claims has now been established. Specialist lists provide tailored case management practices best suited to the type of case, minimising cost and delays for litigants and making more effective use of court time.

The Department also obtained $460,000 of enhanced funding to provide additional judicial resources for the Court of Appeal. The time from commencement to hearing for most standard appeals has been reduced by 8 per cent. For other appeals, the delay was generally reduced by more than 40 per cent.


District Court

A Criminal List Judge was assigned to the Downing Centre on 1 January 1999. All matters committed to Sydney are listed before this judge within about two weeks of committal. The purpose of this hearing is to address the question of legal representation, ensure all relevant reports are ordered and allocate a hearing date. It is also designed to minimise the number of appearances in Court and reduce the cost of legal proceedings.

Besides managing all incoming trials, the List Judge assigns identified cases requiring special management to individual judges. In addition, all trials are now listed 10 days before the hearing to confirm that date. This is intended to keep late applications to vacate to a minimum to minimise inconvenience to the Court and others involved.

Since the beginning of 1999, the number of trials being listed in country areas each week was reduced from approximately five to three per week. This reduced the number of trials “not reached” at those venues. As part of this strategy, country venues with particularly high caseloads have been identified prior to the circuit sittings to help the prosecution and defence resolve pre-trial issues before the listing date.

The Court developed new monitoring systems for cases more than 12 months old. Once all systems are fully in place, which is likely to be early in the next reporting period, the number of matters in this category in each region will be reported on a monthly basis. This will enable court administrators to ensure that these matters are dealt with by the Court as quickly as possible.

A quality team was established to examine the whole criminal listing process. It has representatives from the major criminal court users and first met early in 1999. It has developed a confidential listing survey, which will commence early in the next reporting period. The aim of the survey is to collect high quality information on the underlying causes for the significant number of trials not proceeding from a representative sample of live cases. It will then analyse this empirical data and propose appropriate and effective changes.

The Government funded two extra permanent judges and one acting judge in the Court’s 1998/99 budget. These judicial resources were directed to the criminal jurisdiction. This, and the other initiatives implemented, have resulted in a 22 per cent decrease in the District Court’s pending criminal caseload.

Over 3,000 cases were transferred from the Supreme Court as a result of the Court's increased civil jurisdiction which came into effect on 18 July 1997. Some 2,500 of these matters have been finalised, with another 250 listed for hearing before the Court or an arbitrator.

The Court’s pending civil case management list has been maintained at an acceptable standard. When case management first commenced at the beginning of 1996, the Court had over 23,000 pending cases. By the end of 1997, this had been reduced to about 12,000 and has remained relatively constant since that time. This is almost equal to the annual incoming rate of work. The Court is still having difficulty achieving its ideal 12 months disposition time for the bulk of cases, however, the majority of matters are being finalised within that time.


Local Courts

Despite an increase of 11,397 matters in the criminal caseload during 1998/99 from 230,825 to 242,222 cases, no increase in delays occurred. The current waiting time for defended matters remains at thirteen weeks.

In 1998/99 the Centralised Committal project was expanded throughout Sydney and country areas. The scheme operates through the early intervention of the NSW Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and NSW Legal Aid Commission, prior to matters being transferred to the District Court. This has achieved a marked reduction in the number of matters committed for trial and has resulted in savings of time and money for the District Court, DPP, Legal Aid Commission, victims and witnesses and the administrative workload of the District Court.

A total of 204,125 Statements of Claim were lodged in the civil claims jurisdiction, resulting in 4,787 registrations in the General Division and 7,416 registrations in the Small Claims Division.

The Philadelphia Model Arbitration system at the Downing Centre Local Court, and the District Court at Sydney and Parramatta, was expanded. Disposal rates for this form of dispute resolution were extremely high.

Local and District Court registries outside the metropolitan area undertook a trial project to determine the most effective way to integrate Local and District Court registry functions. The most effective model was selected for implementation at all four Sydney West registries. This will improve coordination and provide an enhanced level of client service to users dealing with both Local and District Court matters. These new arrangements provide staff with enhanced opportunities for multi-skilling and career development.

A purpose built Children’s Court was opened at the Campbelltown Court complex. This has improved access to specialist Children’s Courts services and ensures young offenders and their families have waiting areas and facilities that are separate from adult offenders, and are able to access other justice and appropriate court support services.


Compensation Court and Dust Diseases Tribunal

In the Compensation Court, more disputes were resolved this year, while the number of pending cases decreased. This is largely due to legislative reforms which have seen the removal of restrictions on settlements by way of commutation of weekly payment claims. Since 1 August 1998, parties have been able to seek the approval of the Court to a commutation settlement without first having to seek the approval of the WorkCover Authority. A total of 8,936 commutations were approved between 1 August 1998 and 30 June 1999. The pending caseload has dropped from 18,174 at 30 June 1998 to 15,660 at 30 June 1999. However, there has been a significant upturn in recent filings. The median time for the disposal of claims has dropped from 45 weeks in the last reporting year to 42 weeks this reporting year.

Greater flexibility in the giving of evidence by witnesses is expected to result from the development and implementation of a joint project of the Compensation Court and Dust Diseases Tribunal establishing video link facilities in courtrooms. The first video link courtroom was operated by the Tribunal in May, with evidence taken from an expert witness in Adelaide. Video court rooms will save the community time and money.


Industrial Relations Commission

The Industrial Relations Commission registry continued to serve a large number of clients in the financial year ending 30 June 1999. A total of 11,192 matters were filed in the period which included matters before the Chief Industrial Magistrate and the Industrial Registrar. This compares with 11,290 matters filed in 1997/98.

Excluding matters to be heard by the Chief Industrial Magistrate, the number of matters filed in 1998/99 was 6,828 and in 1997/98 was 7,366.

The Industrial Relations Commission continued to resolve an increasing number of matters. In 1998/99, 7,727 matters were resolved compared to 5,134 in 1997/98. In this financial year, 971 industrial disputes were resolved compared to 896 in 1997/98.

The number of unfair dismissal claims that were resolved increased in 1998/99 to 4,795 compared to 2,847 in 1997/98. The number of unfair dismissal applications fell from 4,350 in 1997/98 to 3,604 in 1998/99. This fall may reflect the impact of regulations introduced on 1 October 1997.

The Commission continued to deal with a backlog of cases during the financial year and as a result the median times for resolution increased in a number of areas but overall remained reasonable. This was particularly so in the more traditionally “industrial” areas of the Commission’s jurisdiction. These matters are usually urgent and require an almost immediate response from the Commission, as the impact of an industrial dispute upon the public can be severe. Such disputes continued to retain priority in matters that came before the Commission. In 1997/98 the median time for resolution of disputes was 111 days and in 1998/99, 124 days. In 1998/99 approval of enterprise agreements continued to be a priority. Median times for finalising enterprise agreements increased slightly from 22 days in 1997/98 to 24 days in 1998/99.

Key judgments were made available on the Internet which is a major service improvement for the industrial community. The Commission expanded its web site and plans to add its Practice Directions and update its decisions on line more regularly in the next reporting year.


Administrative Decisions Tribunal

A case management database was completed in March 1999 for the Legal Services Division of the Tribunal. It is currently being assessed for expansion to other Divisions as the first step in developing an integrated system for the whole of the Tribunal.

The Tribunal encourages early resolution of grievances. In particular, preliminary conferences and mediations are regularly held in the Equal Opportunity, Community Services and General Divisions.


Improving the work environment

The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court reviewed services and staffing as part of a restructure to better align resources with functions and improve service delivery through optimal use of technology. This review will continue into the next financial year.

The Court created a team to address Ethnic Affairs Policy Statement matters, considering methods such as staff training to improve cultural awareness and community access to court services.

A draft Communication Plan was also developed for improved internal and external communication. As part of this plan, the Court started an internal newsletter in late 1998 to provide information on organisational issues and recognise staff achievements.


District Court

The District Court has refurbished the Sydney Registry Office on Level 3 of the Downing Centre, installing better lighting and new work stations. The public counter area on Level 11 of the John Maddison Tower was also refurbished, almost doubling in size, making it easier and more comfortable both for staff and customers. Work commenced to refurbish Level 12 of the John Maddison Tower. New shelving is being installed in the Exhibits Area to overcome storage problems.

All staff have participated in a discrimination awareness seminar. Three officers who attended a “train the trainer” program on disability awareness have since conducted two “in house” workshops.


Local Courts

Seventy-eight senior managers and staff with supervisory responsibilities participated in the Local Courts Management Development Program during the year. This program aimed to help managers develop their knowledge and skills in the areas of leadership, communication and supervision. The program also focused on ethical and non-discriminatory behaviour in the workplace and the role of managers in modelling these attributes.

Thirty-two Local Courts staff participated in quality teams which first identified and then developed strategies to resolve a specific workplace problem or modify work processes for greater efficiency. Seventeen Local Courts staff participated in strategic quality teams involving cross organisational or inter-departmental projects.

Twelve female staff from Local Courts participated in the second Career Development for Women program, conducted in 1998. Participants worked on projects which involved researching employee reward systems and the feasibility of an extended opening hours scheme for Courts. The employee reward system will be implemented in the coming year, while Local Courts are currently trialing expanded opening hours.

A non-English speaking background staff network was formed during the year to promote communication and liaison between staff from diverse cultural backgrounds. Focussing on career development, it provides a forum for staff to identify and discuss barriers or problems they face in the workplace.

Twenty-five Aboriginal staff employed in Local Courts participated in the Department’s Aboriginal staff network which provides a forum for Aboriginal staff to share information, identify career development and personal goals or needs. Local Courts was represented on the Aboriginal Staff Reference Group, an advisory body formed to provide advice to senior management on both Aboriginal staffing issues and client service needs.

Local Courts also has an Aboriginal Client Service Working Party with membership from the Aboriginal Court Liaison Officers (based at Campbelltown, Dubbo, Lismore and Sydney), Clerks of the Court, Regional Coordinators, the Client Service Project Officer and the Director and Deputy Director. The party examines organisational support needs of the Aboriginal Client Liaison Officers and draws on their expertise to look at Aboriginal client service initiatives.


Compensation Court and Dust Diseases Tribunal

The Dust Diseases Tribunal Registry underwent a major refurbishment which saw the counter and photocopying facilities for clients improved and a more congenial working environment developed for staff, with the setting up of work stations for a new automated Registry computer system. Better storage of court related documents was introduced at the Sydney and Newcastle Court registries which resulted in improved availability of subpoenaed material for court cases.


Industrial Relations Commission

The entry areas into the Industrial Relations Commission and some courtrooms were refurbished, with improvements made to flooring, walls and stairwells. The lifts were refitted to be more accessible to people with disabilities, and work commenced on new counter and interview areas, and more secure accommodation for staff.

New secure areas for the storage of material produced under subpoena were built
and computer facilities upgraded.

Members of the Commission were issued with laptop computers which enabled them to access various databases such as the Judicial Commission, Internet and the Department’s email facilities. The Registry’s computer network was also extended to the various Chambers and Commissioner’s offices. The system will save time and effort for staff as material relating to results will only need to be entered onto the computer once. All members and staff will be able to track the progress of a case and have email facilities.


Administrative Decisions Tribunal

Staff joining the new Administrative Decisions Tribunal from the former more specific Tribunals now deal with a broader range of work. Staff are being trained for their new roles with on-the-job training, in house seminars and seminars presented by external agencies. Such agencies include the Ombudsman’s Office, Anti-Discrimination Board and Registrar of Retail Tenancy Disputes.


The year ahead

Supreme Court

• Establish achievable time standards for cases in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal;
• Improve or maintain reductions in delay that were achieved during 1998/99;
• Complete an initial survey of court users to establish a feedback mechanism and guide the Registry in provision of services;
• Continue the review of Registry functions and staffing and examine opportunities to improve procedures through use of electronic technology; and
• Develop strategies to minimise the effect of delay created by reduced court use during the Olympic Games.

• Eliminate the backlog of civil cases transferred from the Supreme Court by the second half of 1999;
• Review the Court’s criminal listing procedures and examine alternative approaches to the management of its criminal cases;
• Record court results directly onto the computer database to reduce the number of documents being filed in civil cases;
• Establish a project team to guide development and implementation of a pilot program for lodging documents electronically; and
• Eliminate delay in the criminal jurisdiction, with a view to listing trials in accordance with the Court’s published time standards.

• Establish a Customer Council and develop a client service charter;
• Conduct staff forums to enable staff to discuss workplace issues, better understand their roles and participate in the decision making process; and
• Develop a Flexible Service Delivery Program for managers to promote responsive and innovative client service initiatives.

• Refurbish Level 10 Windeyer Chambers for use as additional Courts and Chambers;
• Develop an electronic document interchange system in partnership with Information Technology Branch;
• Increase court efficiency by reviewing the staffing and personnel grades of each position and restructuring them to bring them in line with rest of the Department; and
• Endeavour to meet time standards set in the 1996 Annual Review and keep delays low by disposing of matters quickly.

For the Compensation Court, priorities include:

• Continue to dispose of cases expeditiously and maximise available resources through the ongoing review and implementation of effective listing strategies;
• Expand the Court’s practitioner forum to Wollongong;
• Publish a multi-lingual information brochure to improve the availability of information about the Court’s Medical Section and Medical Panel operations;
• Complete a review of the Compensation Court Rules, Practice Notes, Procedural Guides & Forms, and implement approved changes; and
• Improve Court signage and access in non-metropolitan areas.

• Continue to dispose of urgent cases expeditiously and systematically dispose of cross claims;
• Implement strategies to deal with the impact of legislative changes, such as the survival of general damages following the death of the plaintiff and the removal of the limitation period; and
• Complete installation of Amairgen, the automated Registry computer system project which provides electronic courtroom diary and listing functions, automated registry functions such as document scanning and, eventually, electronic document delivery into Courtrooms.

• Improve registry services through feedback obtained from client user surveys;
• Continue information technology development of special projects, including electronic access for document filing and mailing; and
• Publish a video court room protocol.

• Restructure the Registry to ensure that members of the public get improved service from appropriately qualified staff and that an appropriate structure is in place to serve the Commission;
• Improve access for the public by refurbishing the registry counter, providing more telephones for non-English speaking clients, providing access for people with disabilities, and improving privacy of interviewing facilities;
• Review various practices including matters in relation to section 106 of the Industrial Relations Act and implement any necessary changes;
• Review practices in the areas of long matters and unfair dismissals to improve efficiency in their disposition; and
• Review, in conjunction with Reporting Services Branch, transcript needs, and review practices relating to material produced under subpoena.

• Promote mediation and preliminary conferences as early in the process as possible and modify parts of the Tribunal’s accommodation to allow for more effective use of alternative dispute resolution activities;
• Convene user groups to assess needs of parties appearing before the Tribunal;
• Support training initiatives for government administration in relation to good decision making; and
• Assess procedures in the Equal Opportunity Division with particular regard to forthcoming report of the Law Reform Commission.