$5.2M FOR MURRI COURT IMPROVE JUSTICE FOR INDIGENOUS QUEENSLANDERS
Published Sunday, 31 December, 2006 at 12:00 AM
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister Assisting the Premier in Western Queensland
The Honourable Kerry Shine
The Queensland Government’s $5.2 million funding boost for the State’s Murri Court will come into effect tomorrow (1 January 2007), reaffirming the Government’s commitment to improving justice services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Premier Peter Beattie said the funding commitment over three years would ensure the Murri Court, which was established in 2002, would continue.
The Murri Court is held in Brisbane, Caboolture, Rockhampton, Mount Isa and Townsville. A trial has recently commenced at Cherbourg.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are over-represented in our criminal justice system,” Mr Beattie said.
“Indigenous Queenslanders account for 3.5% of our population, yet almost 27% of all adult prisoners and 60% of all juveniles in detention are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.”
"The Government has been working to reduce crime and improve safety among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities."
"The Murri Court has been an important initiative in this regard and the outcomes of the review – initiated by the Government - have given us confidence to reaffirm our support for it."
The Murri Court is a Queensland Magistrates Court which sentences indigenous offenders who plead guilty to an offence. It delivers more personal and culturally appropriate justice by allowing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and respected persons the opportunity to have input.
The Elders and respected persons provide insight into how the offending is affecting the local community and have input into the sentencing options considered by the Court. The legal processes of the Murri Court are more informal and less intimidating and, where possible, sentences have a rehabilitative focus.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Kerry Shine said the Government's funding commitment would be invested to implement the recommendations of a review of the Murri Court.
Mr Shine said the review confirmed the involvement of elders and respected persons assists the offenders in developing trust in the court.
“The presence of members of the offender’s community also means that the offender is more responsible for their conduct and aware of the impact of their offending on their community and the victim,” Mr Shine said.
“The report highlights that the Murri Court is not a 'soft option' for indigenous Queenslanders.”
“Penalties being handed down are onerous on offenders as they often involve treatment and close supervision."
Mr Shine said because of limited data collection processes the Review found it was still too early (within four years of the Court's establishment) to conclude the Murri Court was meeting its objectives of reducing imprisonment, decreasing the rate of re-offending and cutting the number of indigenous offenders failing to appear in court.
"One of the report's recommendations is to undertake a further independent evaluation of the Court in 2007 and 2008 and the Government has agreed to this," Mr Shine said.
Another recommendation in the report is for a legislative base to be developed for the Murri Court. Mr Shine said the Government was committed to examining the benefits of a legislative base for the Murri Court after the evaluation has concluded.
“After the outcomes of the evaluation are known, the Government will be in a better position to determine the merit of a legislative base,” Mr Shine said.
Other key actions from the review recommendations include:
• develop and implement an information system/database to collect data required to monitor and evaluate the performance of the Murri Court;
• appoint a State-wide Manager and six court case co-ordinators for the Murri Court; and
• improve transport and training for Elders/respected persons involved in the Murri Court as well as training in court processes and cultural awareness for all Court stakeholders.
Mr Shine said he thanked the 478 people who provided feedback to the review conducted by the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.
A full copy of the Murri Court review can be obtained by e-mailing kirby.anderson@ministerial.qld.gov.au.
Media contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Kirby Anderson 3239 6400
31 December 2006
Premier Peter Beattie said the funding commitment over three years would ensure the Murri Court, which was established in 2002, would continue.
The Murri Court is held in Brisbane, Caboolture, Rockhampton, Mount Isa and Townsville. A trial has recently commenced at Cherbourg.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are over-represented in our criminal justice system,” Mr Beattie said.
“Indigenous Queenslanders account for 3.5% of our population, yet almost 27% of all adult prisoners and 60% of all juveniles in detention are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.”
"The Government has been working to reduce crime and improve safety among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities."
"The Murri Court has been an important initiative in this regard and the outcomes of the review – initiated by the Government - have given us confidence to reaffirm our support for it."
The Murri Court is a Queensland Magistrates Court which sentences indigenous offenders who plead guilty to an offence. It delivers more personal and culturally appropriate justice by allowing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and respected persons the opportunity to have input.
The Elders and respected persons provide insight into how the offending is affecting the local community and have input into the sentencing options considered by the Court. The legal processes of the Murri Court are more informal and less intimidating and, where possible, sentences have a rehabilitative focus.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Kerry Shine said the Government's funding commitment would be invested to implement the recommendations of a review of the Murri Court.
Mr Shine said the review confirmed the involvement of elders and respected persons assists the offenders in developing trust in the court.
“The presence of members of the offender’s community also means that the offender is more responsible for their conduct and aware of the impact of their offending on their community and the victim,” Mr Shine said.
“The report highlights that the Murri Court is not a 'soft option' for indigenous Queenslanders.”
“Penalties being handed down are onerous on offenders as they often involve treatment and close supervision."
Mr Shine said because of limited data collection processes the Review found it was still too early (within four years of the Court's establishment) to conclude the Murri Court was meeting its objectives of reducing imprisonment, decreasing the rate of re-offending and cutting the number of indigenous offenders failing to appear in court.
"One of the report's recommendations is to undertake a further independent evaluation of the Court in 2007 and 2008 and the Government has agreed to this," Mr Shine said.
Another recommendation in the report is for a legislative base to be developed for the Murri Court. Mr Shine said the Government was committed to examining the benefits of a legislative base for the Murri Court after the evaluation has concluded.
“After the outcomes of the evaluation are known, the Government will be in a better position to determine the merit of a legislative base,” Mr Shine said.
Other key actions from the review recommendations include:
• develop and implement an information system/database to collect data required to monitor and evaluate the performance of the Murri Court;
• appoint a State-wide Manager and six court case co-ordinators for the Murri Court; and
• improve transport and training for Elders/respected persons involved in the Murri Court as well as training in court processes and cultural awareness for all Court stakeholders.
Mr Shine said he thanked the 478 people who provided feedback to the review conducted by the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.
A full copy of the Murri Court review can be obtained by e-mailing kirby.anderson@ministerial.qld.gov.au.
Media contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500
Kirby Anderson 3239 6400
31 December 2006