Elise Archer,Attorney-General and Minister for Justice
The State Government is committed to ensuring all Tasmanians have access to an effective and efficient justice system.
The Magistrates Court has been provided with special authorisation to allow specified court documents to be served and witnessed electronically to improve access to justice during the COVID-19 emergency.
At my request, the Premier has issued a Notice under the COVID-19 Disease Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 following a request from the Chief Magistrate and then consideration by myself and the State Controller.
Specified documents will be able to be served electronically with the consent of the person being served, which will reduce unnecessary travel and physical contact and save time.
The Notice also allows specified documents to be witnessed through audio-visual link. For example, a Justice of the Peace can observe a person witnessing a document by video-conference.
The Magistrates Court and Supreme Courts have already been provided with special authorisation to conduct proceedings remotely where required, which has been critical to reducing COVID-19 exposure for people needing access to the justice system.
The measures being taken by the Government at the specific request of the Courts will ensure both access to justice and the integrity of legal processes during the COVID-19 emergency.
