The Bugmy Bar Book Project Committee has launched a redesigned website for an improved user experience. Previously hosted on the NSW Public Defenders website, this marks its debut as a standalone platform.
The Bugmy Bar Book, accessible online for free, provides easily understandable summaries of research on the impacts of disadvantage and strengths-based rehabilitation.
While a key function of this project is to assist legal practitioners in the preparation and presentation of evidence to establish the application of the sentencing principles in Bugmy v The Queen (2013) 249 CLR 571, the Bugmy Bar Book materials also have relevance in other contexts, including bail, mental health diversionary applications, civil practice areas, coronial inquests and other inquisitorial jurisdictions.
The committee guiding the Bugmy Bar Book Project comprises representatives from key justice agencies, courts, legal academics, and private legal professionals across NSW, the ACT, and the Northern Territory. Although the project originated in NSW, the resources are designed for use across all Australian jurisdictions, with the committee engaging stakeholders nationwide.
The website now includes updated chapters covering topics such as childhood sexual abuse, parental incarceration, interrupted school attendance, and unemployment. It also features recent judgments referring to the Bugmy Bar Book, along with a variety of other resources.