Elise Archer,Attorney-General
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government has this week delivered significant reforms to streamline and improve the operation of the Magistrates Court, with a package of Bills which have now passed the Legislative Council.
These Bills, including the Magistrates Court (Criminal and General) Bill, have been 18 years in the making and introduce a range of new measures supporting increased access to a more efficient, fair and effective justice system in Tasmania.
Importantly, these new laws will provide the framework for Justice Connect, an end-to-end Justice and Corrections technology solution that is part of our Government’s investment of $35 million over the next four years in the State’s justice system to improve outcomes for Tasmanians.
The Hodgman majority Liberal Government is also actively pursuing a range of other legislative, technological and procedural reforms to create further efficiencies for Tasmania’s justice system, including through a working group that is considering additional changes to the jurisdictional boundaries between the Magistrates Court and the Supreme Court.
I am proud to be the Attorney-General who prioritised and finally brought this project to fruition in the form of a total of four new Bills that have been developed to replace the Justices Act 1959, to provide the Magistrates Court with a contemporary and more efficient legislative framework.
