Fairness and equity for victims of crime: what do victims want, and why don't they get it? The goal of the research is to assist justice and crime victims services agencies to understand their role in relation to crime victims and to develop more effective and responsive ways to meet this important social and justice challenge. The research will contribute to a better understanding how traditional legal and justice processes can be made consistent with victims' needs for procedural fairness and ....Fairness and equity for victims of crime: what do victims want, and why don't they get it? The goal of the research is to assist justice and crime victims services agencies to understand their role in relation to crime victims and to develop more effective and responsive ways to meet this important social and justice challenge. The research will contribute to a better understanding how traditional legal and justice processes can be made consistent with victims' needs for procedural fairness and equity of outcomes. The project will establish a strong theoretical and policy framework for a principled, fair and responsive justice system that is informed by the diverse interests of its constituents and consumers. This research has the support of Victims Support Australasia and in-principle agreement from four member services.Read moreRead less
Enhancing court safety by managing people, places and processes. Australia will be better protected 'from terrorism and crime' by having safer courts. High-profile criminal cases can be managed more expeditiously, vulnerable participants will be able to take part more confidently in justice processes, while Australian society more generally will be protected by having courts that provide effective responses to crime while maintaining openness and respect for law. In providing a holistic analy ....Enhancing court safety by managing people, places and processes. Australia will be better protected 'from terrorism and crime' by having safer courts. High-profile criminal cases can be managed more expeditiously, vulnerable participants will be able to take part more confidently in justice processes, while Australian society more generally will be protected by having courts that provide effective responses to crime while maintaining openness and respect for law. In providing a holistic analysis of safety needs and responses, the study also provides an empirial foundation for developing 'smart information uses', ensuring that surveillance and screening technologies complement court design and training policies to create environments that are physically and psychologically safe.Read moreRead less
Improving online case law within the constraints of free access through heuristic linking and resulting discovery mechanisms. Better interconnections between cases and between cases and other documents, will improve the work of the judiciary, lawyers and legal researchers. Improved speed, accuracy and comprehensiveness of assessment of the legal implications of previous cases should result in better quality client advice and judicial decisions. The general public and business, for whom AustLII ....Improving online case law within the constraints of free access through heuristic linking and resulting discovery mechanisms. Better interconnections between cases and between cases and other documents, will improve the work of the judiciary, lawyers and legal researchers. Improved speed, accuracy and comprehensiveness of assessment of the legal implications of previous cases should result in better quality client advice and judicial decisions. The general public and business, for whom AustLII is the principal means of accessing law, will also benefit from better understanding of, and easier access to, the interconnections between the sources of law. Free access via AustLII's increasingly comprehensive coverage of Australian Courts and Tribunals means these innovations will be of immediate broad national benefit.Read moreRead less
Protecting economic, social and cultural Rights in the ACT: models, methods and impact. This project will generate new thinking on the protection of economic, social and cultural rights. It will develop impact assessment frameworks and protocols for the assessment of compliance with these rights. The project will benefit not only the ACT by informing consideration of the inclusion of economic, social and cultural rights in the ACT Human Rights Act, but also other Australian jurisdictions' deli ....Protecting economic, social and cultural Rights in the ACT: models, methods and impact. This project will generate new thinking on the protection of economic, social and cultural rights. It will develop impact assessment frameworks and protocols for the assessment of compliance with these rights. The project will benefit not only the ACT by informing consideration of the inclusion of economic, social and cultural rights in the ACT Human Rights Act, but also other Australian jurisdictions' deliberations over bills of rights, including consideration of a national bill. Other benefits include training students and informing Australia's engagement with the UN on an Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.Read moreRead less
Sentencing and public confidence: public perceptions and the role of the public in sentencing practice and policy. Public confidence is critical to the effective operation of the criminal justice system. This project will generate much needed current national data on public attitudes about sentencing. It examines avenues for the incorporation of public opinion into sentencing policy and processes, and provides accurate measures of the factors involved. The results will enable governments to res ....Sentencing and public confidence: public perceptions and the role of the public in sentencing practice and policy. Public confidence is critical to the effective operation of the criminal justice system. This project will generate much needed current national data on public attitudes about sentencing. It examines avenues for the incorporation of public opinion into sentencing policy and processes, and provides accurate measures of the factors involved. The results will enable governments to respond to periodic crises in public confidence in constructive and informed ways, rather than act in response to law and order rhetoric, linked with harsh sentencing regimes, and costly and potentially unnecessary increases in incarceration rates.Read moreRead less
Gateways to Justice: improving video-mediated communications for justice participants. Australia will be better protected from terrorism and crime if courts are able to make effective use of high-quality video evidence, both from scientific experts and from key witnesses who cannot be produced in person for security reasons. Appropriate application of the technology can also increase effective and timely access to justice for other justice participants including indigenous people in remote commu ....Gateways to Justice: improving video-mediated communications for justice participants. Australia will be better protected from terrorism and crime if courts are able to make effective use of high-quality video evidence, both from scientific experts and from key witnesses who cannot be produced in person for security reasons. Appropriate application of the technology can also increase effective and timely access to justice for other justice participants including indigenous people in remote communities. The project contributes to the take-up of frontier technologies by developing a best practice model for using video testimony in justice settings, and identifying the social and environmental conditions necessary for successful implementation.Read moreRead less
The Effectiveness of Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System. Policing plays a major role in combating crime in the community, reassuring and assisting persons affected by crime so that they can continue, or return, to enjoying their lives. Forensic science is increasingly relied upon by law enforcement to solve crime, and by the judicial system to prosecute offenders. However, the value and impact of forensic science has yet to be established. Through a comprehensive examination of fore ....The Effectiveness of Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System. Policing plays a major role in combating crime in the community, reassuring and assisting persons affected by crime so that they can continue, or return, to enjoying their lives. Forensic science is increasingly relied upon by law enforcement to solve crime, and by the judicial system to prosecute offenders. However, the value and impact of forensic science has yet to be established. Through a comprehensive examination of forensic science usage in the criminal justice system in Victoria and ACT, this research will develop an evidence-based best-practice model for using forensic science efficiently and effectively. This will benefit the Australian community through the achievement of better and more cost effective criminal justice outcomes. Read moreRead less
Juror confidence in justice: democratic participation or deference to authority? Australia will be better protected from terrorism and crime if its justice system has the confidence of its citizens. Currently it does not. Without such confidence, justice offers neither a credible deterrent nor a protector of rights. Courts are typically designed and run using a hierarchical model of authority, while new therapeutic and restorative approaches make justice processes more democratic. There is litt ....Juror confidence in justice: democratic participation or deference to authority? Australia will be better protected from terrorism and crime if its justice system has the confidence of its citizens. Currently it does not. Without such confidence, justice offers neither a credible deterrent nor a protector of rights. Courts are typically designed and run using a hierarchical model of authority, while new therapeutic and restorative approaches make justice processes more democratic. There is little evidence of how either of these impacts on justice for participants. Understanding the process by which people develop trust during one critical adjudicative process, the jury trial, will allow juries, and other forms of lay decision-making in judicial processes, to be used more effectively in the justice system.Read moreRead less
Restorative Justice and Responsive Regulation. The objective of this research is through a series of projects to bring the autor's restorative justice and responsive regulatin research programs of the last decade together, to intergrate them. this means to bear a restorative and responsive approach to transforming the entire legal system, not just criminal or regulatory law/administration. hwever, it does also mean reforming criminological theory with regulatory theory and applying restorative ....Restorative Justice and Responsive Regulation. The objective of this research is through a series of projects to bring the autor's restorative justice and responsive regulatin research programs of the last decade together, to intergrate them. this means to bear a restorative and responsive approach to transforming the entire legal system, not just criminal or regulatory law/administration. hwever, it does also mean reforming criminological theory with regulatory theory and applying restorative justice to business regulation, as well as tort, tax, contract and all areas of law.Read moreRead less