A formal consultation process has been launched to help shape the future accessibility of Queensland’s courts and tribunals, with legal practitioners and court users encouraged to have their say.
Queensland Court and Tribunal Services (CATS) has opened the consultation to better understand the barriers people with disability face when engaging with the court system and to identify opportunities to improve services across the state.
The process will examine the experiences of a broad range of court and tribunal users, including those who engage with the system both professionally and personally, across civil and criminal matters.
Members of the Queensland Law Society’s Disability and Accessibility Network (DAN) have been advocating for improved accessibility in courtroom settings since at least December 2024.
Accessibility reform was also identified as a key issue in the Society’s Call to Parties advocacy document ahead of the 2024 state election.
More recently, QLS made submissions to the Chief Justice and the Attorney-General, drawing on work by its Equity and Diversity Committee and Disability and Accessibility Network, calling for accessibility considerations to be embedded from the earliest stages of court and tribunal design, reform and service delivery.
QLS president Peter Jolly welcomed the consultation and encouraged both solicitors and the wider public to participate.
“We welcome this consultation and encourage solicitors, along with the public, to share their experiences to help inform meaningful, long‑term reform,” Mr Jolly said.
“Not only will there be lawyers with important lived experience to share with the consultation, but I’m also sure many of our members have seen firsthand how accessibility barriers affect people navigating the courts, from clients and witnesses to fellow practitioners.”
He said for members of the public, barriers to accessibility could affect a person’s ability to understand proceedings, give evidence, or instruct their legal counsel, undermining procedural fairness and access to justice.
The consultation forms part of the Queensland Government’s response to the Disability Royal Commission and its findings about the over-representation of people with disability in the justice system.
QLS Disability and Accessibility Network member Fiona Yeang said people with disability engaged with courts and tribunals in many different roles, but too often encountered unnecessary barriers.
“This consultation is a critical opportunity to hear directly from those experiences and ensure accessibility is embedded in how the justice system operates,” she said.
Fellow DAN member Ashleigh DoRozario said while the courts had improved accessibility in years past, the focus had predominantly concentrated on removing physical barriers for wheelchair users.
She notes that an estimated 4.4 per cent of people with disability in Australia use a wheelchair.
“Not all disabilities are physical, some are sensory, neurological, cognitive, psychosocial and many are invisible or not readily visible,” she said.
“Accessibility for all forms of disability needs to be addressed to ensure a fair and inclusive legal system where no one is left behind.”
QLS Equity and Diversity Committee Chair Ann-Maree David said accessibility must be built into future court and tribunal upgrades from the outset.
“Considering accessibility early in design, reform and service delivery is essential to ensuring the justice system is fair, inclusive and effective for all users,” Ms David said.
In a submission to the Chief Justice in December 2025, Queensland Law Society called for:
- accessibility to be considered early in court and tribunal design, reform and service delivery;
- clearer information and processes for requesting reasonable adjustments;
- dedicated accessibility contact points within court services;
- greater flexibility in courtroom practices to accommodate diverse needs;
- improved use of technology to support remote participation and regional access.
The consultation paper and online form are available here: https://www.qld.gov.au/AccessibleCATSConsultation
Submissions can be made online, in writing, video recording, Teams meeting or via a scheduled phone call. Feedback is requested by 5pm on Friday 22 May 2026.
CATS supports the Supreme, District and Land Courts Service, Magistrates and Coroners Court, as well as the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
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