As the 2024 state election approaches, the Queensland Law Society calls for a commitment to improving the accessibility of courts, commissions and tribunals.
In Queensland, the effectiveness of the justice system is increasingly dependent on the accessibility of digital services. The current limitations in electronic filing and digital file access in many Queensland jurisdictions are adversely impacting court users, especially those in regional, rural and remote areas.
This technological lag has resulted in Queensland’s courts falling behind their state and federal counterparts, creating a significant barrier to justice for many residents and businesses.
Given the contribution of law firms and their clients to Queensland’s economy, the loss of efficiencies due to use of a paper-based system has broad flow-on effects.
The other significant concerns for court users relate to the inadequacy of courthouse facilities across the state. New courthouses are desperately needed in Beenleigh and Townsville. In these and other courthouses, current security and layout deficiencies cause safety concerns for court attendees, including witnesses, victims and other vulnerable people. These issues need to be rectified as a priority by the next government.
In the lead-up to the 2024 state election, QLS calls for
- An allocation of long-term funding for a functional electronic filing system and digitisation of registries
- Improvement to physical and technological court and tribunal infrastructure to meet the needs of all users, particularly those in regional areas and those with additional accessibility requirements
- A commitment that court proceedings are supported by appropriate numbers of registrars, court liaison officers and other support services (such as the Court Network Volunteer Service) to assist vulnerable people.
Additionally, QLS calls for the allocation of funding to the Coroners Court for family liaison officers and counselling services and more resourcing for the Mental Health Review Tribunal with technical and administrative support to ensure there are no operational barriers to accessing records of proceedings.
QLS has a long history of advocating for good, evidence-based laws and policies through submissions to government which seek reforms that will have a positive impact on both the legal profession and the Queensland community. View the QLS submission webpage here.
Members are invited to review the Call to Parties statement here. The Queensland state election will be held on 26 October 2024.
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