Law Society requests more magistrates, technology in ‘busiest jurisdiction’
By Naomi Neilson|23 February 2021
The Law Society of NSW will spend 2021 focusing on regional areas to ensure that local courts and tribunals are properly resourced – starting with Coffs Harbour.
Soon after the pandemic hit, major and city-based courts and tribunals were quickly equipped with digital means to ensure that the administration of justice continued, but regional courts were left behind. Almost a year since the lockdowns began, the Local Court is struggling to keep up with the new virtual normal.
In 2019, the Coffs Harbour Local Court had 4,601 new general criminal matters and 4,625 finalised criminal matters. NSW Law Society president Juliana Warner said the situation has become more pressing due to unintended consequences of new laws allowing domestic violence victims to give audio by audiovisual (AVL) link.