Arabic version: مخطط إصلاح محاكم تسمانيا يبعث الأمل لدى الضحايا

According to ABC News, family violence victim-survivors and legal advocates are urging swift action after a report detailed severe court backlogs in Tasmania and proposed reforms to improve the system.

Mary*, whose identity is protected by the ABC, has waited more than two years for family violence charges against her former partner to progress. She said there was “no clear end in sight” and feared it could take closer to three years to get an answer, describing the situation as “diabolical”.

The report by barrister Lloyd Babb SC found Tasmania’s courts were among the least efficient in Australia. Productivity Commission data cited in the report showed matters appear an average of 14 times in the Tasmanian Supreme Court before resolution, the highest rate nationally and 30 per cent higher than a decade ago. In the Magistrates Court, cases finalised within 12 months fell from 84 per cent to 72 per cent since 2015.

Engender Equality chief executive Alina Thomas said repeated adjournments could add another layer of trauma for victim-survivors. The organisation’s counsellors, she said, provide support not only for violence experienced but also for the process of going through court.

The Tasmanian government has agreed fully or in principle to 19 of the report’s 20 recommendations, including incentives for early guilty pleas, court information technology improvements and an early disclosure protocol. Attorney-General Guy Barnett said work would “begin immediately”, while Law Society of Tasmania president Amelia Higgs called the report a road map for reform.