Koori Court
A Koori Court is a separate division of the
Koori Court is the only Indigenous sentencing court in an indictable jurisdiction in Australia.
Background and history
The word
The Koori Courts were an initiative of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement (VAJA), a joint partnership strategy between the
They began operation in 2002, under the Koori Court Division created by the Magistrates' Court (Koori Court) Act 2002 (Vic),[4] with the first one established in Shepparton in October 2002, and the second at Broadmeadows in 2003.[2]
The Children and Young Persons (Koori Court) Act 2004 established the Children's Koori Court for
Operation
The Magistrates' Court Act states that the objective of the Division is "ensuring greater participation of the Aboriginal community in the sentencing process of the Magistrates' Court through the role to be played in that process by the Aboriginal Elder or respected person and others". Other provisions of the court are covered by the Sentencing Act 1991,[3][9] and all conventional sentences may be applied, including going to prison. The Koori Court is separate division of the Magistrates' Court of Victoria, the County Court of Victoria and the Children's Court of Victoria.[10]
The court sessions are held on a designated day in an ordinary courthouse. The laws administered are exactly the same as in any Australian courthouse, but the Koori Courts cannot deal with
In Koori Court, the
Koori Court is the only Indigenous sentencing court in an indictable jurisdiction in Australia.[14]
Impact
After a two-year pilot scheme, Koori Courts were successful in reducing
Locations
As of July 2022[update] there are Koori Courts in:[13]
- Bairnsdale
- Broadmeadows
- Dandenong
- Geelong
- Hamilton
- Heidelberg
- Latrobe Valley (Morwell)
- Melbourne
- Mildura
- Portland
- Shepparton
- Swan Hill
- Warrnambool
See also
- Aboriginal Community Court in Western Australia (2006–2015)
- Community court (Northern Territory)(2005–2012)
- Indigenous court (disambiguation)
- Murri Court in Queensland (2002-2012, 2016–present)
- Nunga Court in South Australia (1999-present)
- Youth Koori Court in New South Wales (2002-present)
References
- S2CID 242265716.
- ^ a b c Marchetti, Elena; Daly, Kathleen (May 2004). "Indigenous Courts and Justice Practices in Australia". Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice (277): 1–6. Retrieved 24 July 2022 – via University of Wollongong.
- ^ doi:10.21153/dlr2005vol10no2art298. Retrieved 27 July 2022 – via Australasian Legal Information Institute.
- ^ a b c Larsen, Ann-Claire; Milnes, Peter (2011). "A cautionary note on therapeutic jurisprudence for Aboriginal offenders". ELaw Journal: Murdoch University Electronic Journal of Law. 18 (1). Murdoch University: 1–27. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ "Koori Court". Children's Court of Victoria. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ Clear Horizon Consulting (27 September 201). County Koori Court: Final evaluation report (PDF) (Report).
- ^ "Search". Victorian legislation. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Court divisions". County Court of Victoria. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Sentencing Act 1991". Victorian Legislation. 17 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ a b Dahlstrom, Fernanda. "Koori Court (Vic)". Armstong Legal. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ Ryan, Hannah (18 September 2018). "Aboriginal people will be able to access Koori Court more easily after a Supreme Court win". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ Taha, Mohamed; Clarke, Allan (13 November 2014). "NSW's first Koori Youth Court to target Indigenous imprisonment rates in western Sydney trial". ABC News Online. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
- ^ Magistrates Court of Victoria. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Library Guides: Indigenous Law: Cases & Indigenous Courts". Library Guides at University of Melbourne. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
External links
- Koori Court (Magistrates' Court)
- Children's Koori Court
- County Koori Court
- Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service fact sheet (2004 - archived version)
- Department of Justice Koori Court (2006- archived version)