Inclusion is essential in our justice system, Her Honour Chief Justice Bowskill said at the recent launch of the third edition of the Supreme Court of Queensland Equal Treatment Benchbook.
The launch was held at the Banco Court on 25 March and was well-attended by members of the judiciary, legal profession and broader community.
In moving opening remarks, the Chief Justice reiterated the close relationship between equal treatment and justice:
“We celebrate and are proud of the diversity of our society. It is part of our national identity,” Her Honour said.
“Inclusion is an essential element of the equality and fairness which define our justice system. Exclusion, and disadvantage, are anathema to it.”
The Benchbook, co-authored by Rebecca Fogerty and Dr Brooke Thompson, provides contemporary, practice guidance about equal treatment for judges and tribunal members.
Its purpose is to ensure that no person is disadvantaged in their interaction with the courts due to factors such as race, culture, language, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, or other relevant difference or difficulty.
The launch took place ahead of the third annual Culture and Law Moot, a collaboration between the Pasifika Lawyers Association of Queensland, the Queensland African Lawyers Network, the Asian Australian Lawyers Association of Queensland and the judiciary.
This year’s moot topic – whether generative AI will improve access to justice for culturally and linguistically diverse litigants more effectively than conventional dispute resolution processes – was argued before a bench comprising Chief Justice Bowskill, Justice Darryl Rangiah and Chief Magistrate Judge Janelle Brassington.
The pairing of the Benchbook launch with the Culture and Law Moot was fitting, reflecting court’s and the profession’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that equality and diversity are actively supported within the structures of justice.
The Equal Treatment Benchbook is published by the Supreme Court of Queensland and available through the Supreme Court Library Queensland.
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