Option of Judge alone trials to commence on 8 June 2022

Elise Archer,Attorney-General

Minister for Justice

I am pleased to announce the option of a trial by judge alone without a jury in the Supreme Court will commence on 8 June 2022, following the passing of the Criminal Code Amendment (Judge Alone Trials) Act 2022 earlier this year.

This will align Tasmania with most other Australian jurisdictions and provide an optional alternative to jury trials in Tasmania, where appropriate.

Importantly, it will help our ongoing efforts to reduce criminal court backlogs, along with allowing for greater choice and better access to justice for Tasmanians.

As Attorney-General, I have already prioritised several significant legislative changes, including the passing of the Justice Miscellaneous (Court Backlog and Related Matters) Act 2020 and the Magistrates Court (Criminal & General Division) Act 2019.

Additionally, our Government has invested significantly in the development of the new ‘Astria’ digital solution, as part of the broader Justice Connect project, which will substantially modernise Tasmanian’s justice system procedures and data collection with a shared case management database.

It also further complements the work we have progressed in recent years to reduce criminal court backlogs, including a full statutory complement of seven Supreme Court Judges, the first time since 1995; and 17 permanent Magistrates, the most that Court has ever had.

As well as court resources, our Government has also provided additional funding to the legal assistance sector and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Our important work is ensuring that our criminal justice system is able to deliver outcomes for both victims of crime and people on remand for indictable crimes.

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