Tasmania's court backlog sparks reform plan to ease family violence victims' wait
A new report exposing Tasmania's severe court delays has prompted the government to adopt most of its reform recommendations, aiming to speed up family violence cases.
A recent analysis by barrister Lloyd Babb SC highlighted Tasmania's court system as the most inefficient in the nation, with Supreme Court matters appearing an average of 14 times before resolution and a decline in cases finalized within a year in the Magistrates Court. The report warned that such delays inflict additional trauma on family violence victims, exemplified by Mary, who has been waiting more than two years for her case to move forward.
Advocacy groups and senior lawyers called for swift reforms, prompting the Tasmanian government to endorse 19 of the 20 recommendations, ranging from technology improvements to early guilty plea incentives and a new evidence disclosure protocol. Law Society president Amelia Higgs called the report a roadmap for change, while Engender Equality chief Alina Thomas stressed the need for a system designed around victim-survivors. Attorney-General Guy Barnett pledged immediate action, and Mary expressed gratitude for police support but criticized the court system's failures.
Why it matters
Prolonged court delays worsen trauma for family violence victims and strain confidence in Tasmania's justice system.
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