Just spaces: security without prejudice in the wireless courtroom. How do jurors respond to seeing defendants in a glass cage, in a traditional wooden dock or at the Bar table? The project will examine how courtroom design shapes attitudes; and, bringing together court executives, architects and researchers, will show how flexible wireless courtrooms can meet both security and human rights standards.
Threshold Decisions in Determining Whether to Prosecute Child Sexual Abuse. The objective of this project is new knowledge about the way police and prosecutors make decisions about the prosecution of child sexual assault that could be used to influence policy and practice. Few cases of child sexual abuse reported to the police ever go to court but recent research in New South Wales for the Royal Commission indicates that the proportion has declined sharply over the last decade or so. This projec ....Threshold Decisions in Determining Whether to Prosecute Child Sexual Abuse. The objective of this project is new knowledge about the way police and prosecutors make decisions about the prosecution of child sexual assault that could be used to influence policy and practice. Few cases of child sexual abuse reported to the police ever go to court but recent research in New South Wales for the Royal Commission indicates that the proportion has declined sharply over the last decade or so. This project aims to examine how police and prosecutors decide which cases proceed and why, and how they confer with each other as well as when and how they consult with complainants and their families. This project plans to also develop and test practice tools and principles for police and prosecutors with expected benefits for both them and the families involved.Read moreRead less
Sexual victimisation and justice: reconceptualising theory, research and policy. In the aftermath of serious crime, victims have needs for information, support, material assistance and justice. This project centres on victims' justice needs and presents and tests a model to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of justice responses, including courts, conferences, compensation and truth - seeking.
The non-fatal strangulation offence as a response to domestic violence. This project aims to review the application and experience of the non-fatal strangulation offence as a response to domestic violence. Through a mixed-methods design, the project will generate new knowledge about the operation of the non-fatal strangulation offence in practice. This is crucial given that many women escaping domestic violence report non-fatal strangulation from their past partner. Expected outcomes of the Proj ....The non-fatal strangulation offence as a response to domestic violence. This project aims to review the application and experience of the non-fatal strangulation offence as a response to domestic violence. Through a mixed-methods design, the project will generate new knowledge about the operation of the non-fatal strangulation offence in practice. This is crucial given that many women escaping domestic violence report non-fatal strangulation from their past partner. Expected outcomes of the Project include the development of law reform and policy recommendations to improve the operation of the offence, enhance service responses and develop professional education. This research will provide significant social and economic benefits through better understanding of the legal response to domestic violence.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100945
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$334,000.00
Summary
Improved interviewing framework in sexual assault cases. This project aims to provide a better interview framework to be used by police in the investigation and possible prosecution of sexual assault allegations. The current interview framework used around the world was not specifically designed for adult sexual assault complainants and has been intensely criticised. This project will design a revised interview framework that meets the complex investigative and evidential requirements for these ....Improved interviewing framework in sexual assault cases. This project aims to provide a better interview framework to be used by police in the investigation and possible prosecution of sexual assault allegations. The current interview framework used around the world was not specifically designed for adult sexual assault complainants and has been intensely criticised. This project will design a revised interview framework that meets the complex investigative and evidential requirements for these interviews. This is expected to increase just outcomes and victim satisfaction with the criminal justice response.Read moreRead less
Nothing works? Re-appraising research on Indigenous-focused crime and justice programs. Research on Indigenous-focused crime and justice programs often finds little or no impact on outcomes such as reductions in re-offending. This project aims to determine whether such findings are an accurate reflection of program ineffectiveness or are a consequence of how the research was carried out. With an analysis of three case studies of crime and justice programs, this project aims to show why findings ....Nothing works? Re-appraising research on Indigenous-focused crime and justice programs. Research on Indigenous-focused crime and justice programs often finds little or no impact on outcomes such as reductions in re-offending. This project aims to determine whether such findings are an accurate reflection of program ineffectiveness or are a consequence of how the research was carried out. With an analysis of three case studies of crime and justice programs, this project aims to show why findings that show no difference in re-offending outcomes may occur, and offer a more Indigenous-centric methodology to assess program effectiveness. Comparisons will be made with indigenous methodologies used in New Zealand and Canada.Read moreRead less
Trajectories of Wrongful Conviction and Pathways to Exoneration. This is the first national study of its kind that investigates the trajectories of wrongful convictions as systems failures by examining decisions from investigation to exoneration. Wrongful conviction is a significant social and legal problem in Australia and other nations. It costs the Australian government millions in police, court and prison services and has health and psychological consequences for exonerees and their families ....Trajectories of Wrongful Conviction and Pathways to Exoneration. This is the first national study of its kind that investigates the trajectories of wrongful convictions as systems failures by examining decisions from investigation to exoneration. Wrongful conviction is a significant social and legal problem in Australia and other nations. It costs the Australian government millions in police, court and prison services and has health and psychological consequences for exonerees and their families. Expected outcomes for this project include an early warning detection tool to identify at-risk cases and overall improved accuracy in convictions. This will provide significant benefits, for criminal justice agencies, victims and accused individuals while positioning Australia as a world leader in the field.Read moreRead less
Gauging informed public opinion on sentencing sex offenders: a national study. Sex offences appear to attract the greatest community condemnation and desire to punish, particularly when involving predatory stranger rapists or when the victims are children. This national study aims to ascertain informed public opinion on sex offender sentencing by exploring the views of jurors in sex offence trials in all higher courts in Australia.
A comparative analysis of youth punishment in Australia and the United Kingdom. This project is a comparative Australian and United Kingdom investigation of penal policy and the punishment of juvenile offenders. The research analyses the changing approaches to juvenile incarceration, particularly in the context of perceived effects on crime and the substantial public and social costs of incarceration.
Parole in crisis? Public opinion on the use of parole. Serious crimes committed by parolees in Australia have brought parole into the public eye. Without concrete evidence, governments often act on the assumption that the public holds punitive attitudes. This project is expected to develop an evidence base to inform policy on parole at a crucial time when governments are under pressure to restrict its use. Three mixed-method studies aim to assess: what public views on parole are; why the public ....Parole in crisis? Public opinion on the use of parole. Serious crimes committed by parolees in Australia have brought parole into the public eye. Without concrete evidence, governments often act on the assumption that the public holds punitive attitudes. This project is expected to develop an evidence base to inform policy on parole at a crucial time when governments are under pressure to restrict its use. Three mixed-method studies aim to assess: what public views on parole are; why the public holds these views; and what influence these views have on policy and practice. The project is expected to make contributions to: creating information strategies that properly inform the public; supporting prisoner reintegration strategies; and shaping criminal justice policies based on informed community feedback.Read moreRead less