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

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

    Practice Manual for Tribunals

    This invaluable guide on how to run tribunal hearings produced by the Council of Australasian Tribunals covers the nature of tribunals, procedural fairness, hearings, decision-making, and conduct.
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Judgment writing
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    SKILLS

    Some Judgment Writing Essentials

    Produced by the Hon Kim Hargrave, this guide is designed to help judges prepare written judgments in which arguments are routinely structured so that the reasons for decision disclose the path of reasoning leading to the result on each issue in the case.
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    SKILLS

    Schedule A: Fenridge v Retirement Care Australia – an example case

    Judgment writing is one of a judicial officer’s biggest tasks, and it is particularly challenging for new appointees who must not only learn how to craft cogent reasons for judgment, but must deliver them quickly. Produced by the Hon Kim Hargrave, this example commercial case is designed to help judges by identifying good organisational principles.
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Working with vulnerable participants

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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    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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