Courtcraft.

The focus of courtcraft is on how judicial officers manage and maintain their courtroom or tribunal room. These resources provide insight into the nuances of working online, in tribunals, and with vulnerable participants.

Online hearings remain a relatively new phenomenon and can be confronting for judicial officers and participants. The following resources outline some tips on how to run online hearings:

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    SKILLS

    Modifying Courtcraft for Virtual Hearings

    This quick reference guide contains practical advice for managing court hearings online, including steps for before, at the start, during and at the closing of a hearing.
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    SKILLS

    Modifying Tribunal Craft for Virtual Hearings

    This reference guide compiled by us contains practical advice for managing VCAT hearings online, including steps for before, at the start of, during and at the closing of a hearing.
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    SKILLS

    Practice Manual for Tribunals

    A comprehensive guide on how to run tribunal hearings produced by the Council of Australasian Tribunals covering the nature of tribunals, procedural fairness, hearings, decision-making and conduct. 
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There is now an increased focus on the judicial officer's obligation to ensure that participants in the court process, including witnesses and complainants, are treated fairly.

We have created and curated resources to help judicial officers understand and meet this obligation.

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    SOCIAL CONTEXT

    Equal Justice Bench Book

    This bench book provides a profile of Western Australia and provides detailed information on various forms of diversity, including religion, disability, age, culturally and linguistically diverse background, gender, sexuality and First Nations identity, and practical information on removing or reducing any form of disadvantage or inequality in a manner that is fair to all parties.
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    SOCIAL CONTEXT

    Equality before the Law Bench Book

    Produced by the Judicial Commission of New South Wales, this bench book provides information on how First Nations, cultural and linguistic diversity, religious affiliation, disability, gender, sexuality and age identities may be relevant to a person’s experience of court proceedings.
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    SKILLS

    Recommended National Standards for Working with Interpreters in Courts and Tribunals

    These national standards recommended by the Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity aim to promote procedural fairness for witnesses or participants who require interpreters, and a better working relationship between courts, the legal profession and the interpreting profession.
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