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With NSW courts receiving only a “meagre share” of the state budget, the Law Society president has issued a stark warning that underinvestment risks leaving the state’s courts as a relic of the past and undermining access to justice.
The president of the Law Society of NSW has raised serious concerns that the state’s court system has been overlooked in the NSW budget, warning that without meaningful investment, it risks becoming a “relic of the past” and would undermine access to justice for communities across the state.
Last week, Treasurer Daniel Mookhey handed down the 2026–27 NSW budget, outlining how the state plans to allocate funding across key areas over the coming years.
While Law Society president Ronan MacSweeney (pictured) stated that this year’s budget presented a critical opportunity to “inject much-needed investments” into a properly resourced court system and strengthen access to justice across NSW, he warned it amounted to a “lost opportunity” to address longstanding challenges facing the state’s justice infrastructure.
Acknowledging that the government is operating in challenging economic conditions, MacSweeney stressed that the legal profession would nonetheless be disappointed by the relatively small portion of the state’s $116.7 billion infrastructure pipeline through to 2030 directed to the courts.
“The Law Society recognises that the Treasurer has delivered the 2026–27 budget in the midst of ‘global conflict, supply-chain disruption and an energy shock’,” he said.
“However, our members will be disappointed that the court system was allocated a meagre share of the $116.7 billion in state infrastructure investments through to 2030.”
While he welcomed upgrades to the Downing Centre and extra support for the Industrial Relations Commission and the Land and Environment Court, MacSweeney stressed that many courthouses remain outdated and ill-equipped to meet modern justice needs.
He pointed to significant gaps in infrastructure and resourcing across regional and outer-metropolitan communities, warning that many facilities are in urgent need of modernisation to ensure vulnerable court users can access timely and effective justice.
“The state’s courthouses, particularly in communities away from major centres, are in dire need of upgrades, including safe rooms for victims of violent crime and more audio-visual link (AVL) facilities,” he said.
MacSweeney has urged the NSW government to develop a publicly available long-term access-to-justice plan, supported by ongoing investment in court infrastructure and more reliable funding arrangements for legal assistance.
In response to these concerns, MacSweeney has written to Michael Daley outlining the challenges stemming from chronic underinvestment in court infrastructure, while reaffirming the Law Society’s commitment to raising public awareness of the growing pressures facing the justice system.
“I was surprised, however, that the recurrent funding for Legal Aid NSW appears to have been cut by $23.8 million (3.6 per cent) over the previous year at a time when it’s more important than ever that vulnerable people have access to fair legal assistance,” he said.
“As we look forward to next year’s state election, the Law Society is committed to raising public awareness of these issues, as illustrated by the launch of a campaign at last week’s Regional Justice Summit at Orange.”
The Law Society has criticised the modest $3 million allocated to modernise court technology, contrasting it with the $108.8 million provided to the NSW Police Force for new technology and system upgrades.
While acknowledging the importance of investing in policing capabilities, MacSweeney warned that the funding imbalance across the justice system risks creating significant inefficiencies, undermining the effective administration of justice and placing further strain on already stretched courts.
“We understand the need for this level of investment in the police, but inconsistent funding across the justice system creates bottlenecks that manifest in court delays and overcrowding in custody,” he said.
“Modern, well-equipped court systems are central to ensuring the maintenance of public confidence in the justice system and the strengthening of the rule of law.”
