Description

Court Network provides programs and services to members of the community to assist them in the process of accessing the legal system. Established for 28 years, the agency operates on a statewide basis providing court-based support, information and referral to members of the community in both the criminal and civil courts.

Court Network provides this service through the employment of both paid and unpaid staff, who are located in the Magistrates', County, Supreme, Family, Children's and Coroner's Courts within Victoria. Court Network Court network also operates in the Brisbane Commonwealth Law Courts and is to commence in the Brisbane Supreme & District Courts.

Court Network is also committed to the promotion of knowledge about the legal system across the broader community, researching the issues affecting court users and promoting law reform.


Court Network provides services to members of the community to assist them in the process of accessing the legal system. Consistent with the promotion of access to justice for all court users, Court Network will provide innovative support, information and referral programs.

Given that there are significant barriers to accessing the justice system, Court Network values:
• The dignity of all citizens, respect for their decisions, and a nonjudgmental approach to them
• The provision of comprehensive services which recognise the diversity and special needs of court users
• The empowerment of court users by the provision of comprehensive understandable information
• The provision of measures which promote the safety of court users
• Interaction with community services and agencies which assist court users
• Policy development, which is consistent with the needs and issues, raised by court users
• Law reform consistent with the promotion of justice for all court users


Court Networks core business is Information, Support and Referral to Court users and in 2008 will impleament an enhanced referral program in the Melbourne and Dandenong Magistrates Court and the Melbourne County Court the focus of this project is to link Court users to Community Service organisations prior to them leaving the court setting.

Website

Court Network

State

Victoria

Social Category

Community Support/Advocacy