Highlights from the Annual Report
Goal: Continuously Improve our Services and Increase Satisfaction among our Diverse Clients
The Administrative Decisions Tribunal, the District Court, the Compensation Court, Local Courts, Supreme Court and Victims Services conducted client surveys to determine satisfaction with their service. As well as providing positive feedback, these surveys will provide a baseline for further measurement and improvement.
The Department’s Web Page, Lawlink NSW, contains over 15,000 pages of general and consumer specific information about all areas of the Department. Approximately 1.9 million pages of information are now downloaded from the site each month. Lawlink NSW is regularly rated among the most visited legal websites in Australia.
A number of other initiatives this year have now improved services provided to our clients:
- A new file tracking and management system was established at the Land and Environment Court which now streamlines listing and diary functions, facilitates records for research and statistical purposes, and improves the efficiency of data entry.
- The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages has achieved new product and service developments in the area of electronic commerce, including:
- the extension of electronic lodgement of death registration through the Certificate Validation Service;
- implementation of a pilot program for electronic lodgement of marriage registrations from religious and civil celebrants; and
- public access to historic births, deaths and marriage index on the Internet.
- The Office of the Protective Guardian developed a set of 27 guardianship decision-making standards following consultation with a broad range of stakeholders.
- The Anti-Discrimination Board introduced new systems to speed up the investigation and conciliation of complaints, reducing the time for complaints waiting for allocation from six to two months.
- The Office of the Protective Commissioner introduced a new complaint management system.
- Several courts in the Supreme and District jurisdictions have now been equipped with a range of new technologies including video conferencing, specialist document management software and real time computer assisted transcription.
- The Office of the Legal Services Commissioner has implemented a new complaints tracking system which better monitors workloads and provides more accurate statistics on complaints.
- Fifty-nine Local Courts were provided with remote witness facilities (closed circuit television) bringing the total to 94 systems in 62 courthouses.
- Two District Courts at the Downing Centre now provide access for people with disabilities to fully participate in the judicial process, including participation as a jury member.
- A new web site, CaseLaw NSW, has been established to provide electronic access to judgements on the Internet.
Goal: Promote the Earliest, Most Effective and Efficient Resolution of Criminal Matters and Civil Disputes
The Supreme Court has established time standards for completion of criminal trials and civil and criminal appeals as part of a package of reforms to ensure that litigation is conducted as efficiently and expeditiously as possible.
Model Key Performance Indicators for NSW Courts was published which will simply, clearly and comprehensively measure court performance, including backlogs, overloads, clearance ratios and attendance indexes.
A Local Courts and Community Justice Centre Memorandum of Understanding was developed which will increase the number of referrals to the Community Justice Centres for alternate dispute resolution for personal violence and small claims matters, and will result in reduced Local Courts workloads as well as speedier resolution of disputes.
The Administrative Decisions Tribunal developed “practice notes” which will increase the number of matters resolved in the Freedom of Information and Retail Leases areas of its operations.
The introduction of centralised arraignments in Sydney and Sydney West has meant that all matters now have a first appearance in the District Court within fourteen days of committal.
A streamlined process for appeals between the Local Court and the District Court has been settled and will be implemented by December 2000.
Goal: Contribute to the Development of a Legal System and Laws in NSW that furthers the Principles of Justice and contribute to the Achievement of the Goals of the Government
The NSW Court of Criminal Appeal developed sentencing guidelines covering offences of break, enter and steal, home invasion and drug importation.
Funding was provided to establish safety rooms for victims and witnesses in more than 40 courthouses across the State, with 59 court houses now having provision for the separation of victims and witnesses.
Jurors suffering distress or trauma after a trial are now provided with professional and confidential counselling.
Mediation services offered through Community Justice Centres has been expanded in regional and rural NSW. The identification of locally based venues to host mediation and conflict management have improved community access to these services.
Criminal justice research this year by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has revealed that:
- there is little willingness of Australian women to report violence and use services for victims of violence, especially in cases of women assaulted but who have no injuries and those assaulted by their current partner;
- participants in Youth Justice Conferences (victims, offenders and those who attend to support offenders) say they are satisfied with the conferencing process; and
- street-level drug law enforcement encourages heroin users to enter treatment programs but also encourages unsafe injection practices among some heroin users.
Syringes have now been defined as offensive weapons under the Crimes Act, removing any confusion regarding their legal status
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has developed an activity model for the criminal justice system. Better data on the bail status of persons awaiting a court appearance will enable more accurate estimates and performance management.
Goal: Reduce Social Disharmony through Programs which prevent Crime and Protect Human Rights
Five more local crime prevention plans have been endorsed by the Attorney General at Byron Bay, Orange, Kempsey, Wollongong and Lismore, bringing the total to nine.
The Crime Prevention Division established several major initiatives under the NSW Government’s Graffiti Solutions program during the year, including:
- the Beat Graffiti grants program, which funded 30 projects designed to steer young people away from graffiti vandalism;
- the trial of Graffiti Blasters cleaning equipment in two local government areas; and
- working with local councils to use offenders on Community Orders to clean up graffiti.
The Crime Prevention Division also assisted with the development of a program design and evaluation framework for the Youth Drug Court trial project and the Lismore Early Intervention Drug Court trial project.
The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research commenced a process of evaluating the Adult Drug Court. One report has been completed and the evaluation will continue until the end of 2001.
Goal: Build a Harmonious and Protective Organisation which reflects the Diversity of People in NSW.
Total of 15,087 hours were lost on work related injuries and illnesses in 1999-2000, an improvement of 23 per cent over last year.
An employee survey undertaken in 1999 provided baseline measures for employee motivation and productivity.
A rewards and recognition program for individual employees and teams, Awards for Excellence, introduced in September 1999 aims to encourage higher levels of staff morale, job satisfaction, productivity and client service.
Equal Employment Opportunity data collection has improved, particularly from new staff members, with the target response rate of 80 per cent being achieved.