❓ Hon Nick Goiran asks about the Department of Justice's role in facilitating magistrate training from 2021-2025. The Attorney General responds, outlining the Chief Magistrate's responsibility and the Department's funding role, detailing specific courses funded since mid-2023.
AnsweredQoN 209Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Attorney General's predecessor's responses to my questions regarding the training of magistrates, and his statement that the Department of Justice assists heads of jurisdiction in facilitating access to judicial training, and I ask: (a) what training has the Department assisted in facilitating in the following years: (i) 2021; (ii) 2022; (iii) 2023; (iv) 2024; and (v) 2025?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
12 August 2025
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney General
Response time
8 days
1) As per section 24(4) of the Magistrates Court Act 2004, the Chief Magistrate is responsible for directing the professional development and training of magistrates.
The Department of Justice assists heads of jurisdiction in facilitating access to judicial education through funding to each jurisdiction and through a central judicial education budget. Judicial education is judicial officer lead and as such, the Department of Justice does not contribute to the content of conferences, nor does it run judicial education courses. This is to ensure the independence of the judiciary is upheld.\
The central judicial education budget commenced in mid-2023 and since that time, Magistrates have been funded to attend, but not limited to, the following courses in addition to their usual annual education conferences:
National Judicial College of Australia
· Writing Better Judgments
· Oral Decisions
· National Magistrates Orientation Program
· Heads of Jurisdiction Leadership Program
· NJCA Symposium: Artificial Intelligence
· Family Violence in the Court
· Judicial Officers with Leadership Responsibilities Program
The Department of Justice assists heads of jurisdiction in facilitating access to judicial education through funding to each jurisdiction and through a central judicial education budget. Judicial education is judicial officer lead and as such, the Department of Justice does not contribute to the content of conferences, nor does it run judicial education courses. This is to ensure the independence of the judiciary is upheld.\
The central judicial education budget commenced in mid-2023 and since that time, Magistrates have been funded to attend, but not limited to, the following courses in addition to their usual annual education conferences:
National Judicial College of Australia
· Writing Better Judgments
· Oral Decisions
· National Magistrates Orientation Program
· Heads of Jurisdiction Leadership Program
· NJCA Symposium: Artificial Intelligence
· Family Violence in the Court
· Judicial Officers with Leadership Responsibilities Program
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