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Criminal trials set to resume in Victoria
The Victorian government has allocated almost $6 million to expand and to modify regional courtrooms and ensure that criminal jury trials can resume as normal.
Naomi Neilson
The Victorian Supreme Court and County Courts will progressively return to hearing criminal jury trials over the next few months as the court returns to a new normal that will relatively mirror the way hearings were conducted pre-COVID. The modifications will ensure that the justice system can keep moving away from the pandemic.
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Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes commented: “We’re investing in measures to tackle the courts’ pending caseloads – supporting new and innovative ways to improve access to justice for all Victorians, regardless of their postcodes.”
The Victorian budget 2020-21 has provided the $6 million to modify courtrooms across seven sites with works already underway at Geelong, Ballarat, Shepparton, Morwell and Warrnambool. It will soon commence in Mildura and Wodonga.
It includes extending jury boxes, expanding jury rooms and relocating furniture to adapt courts to a post-coronavirus environment and improve the experiences of jurors. Once upgrades have been completed, County Courts will hear more criminal trials in regional locations than they did even before the coronavirus pandemic.
A new booking system will schedule Supreme Court trials more efficiently, ensuring use of the improved courtrooms is maximised and more trials are heard.
In-person hearings in non-jury criminal and civil matters have already recommenced in several regional court locations where Supreme and County Court matters are heard. By safely resuming criminal jury trials in regional courts, the government said the investment will help avoid any more unnecessary delays.
“Our first priority is the safety of the community – that’s why we’re making the necessary changes to ensure our regional courts can operate in a safe and efficient manner,” Ms Symes said. “This work reflects our justice system’s impressive ability to be flexible and adapt – continuing to deliver vital services for Victorians despite the challenges caused by the coronavirus.”
It comes after the Victorian government made a number of coronavirus temporary measures permanent in courts, revolutionising the way they use technology.
