Description

The Koori Court model that has been established in Victoria in 2002 arose as a direct consequence of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement, which was designed to ensure, among other things, greater Indigenous involvement in the justice system and the integration of the government service provision to the Indigenous community. The pilot program for the Koori Courts was conducted at two locations, commencing at Shepparton in rural Victoria in October 2002 and at the metropolitan location of Broadmeadows in April 2003. A review was commissioned of the Courts in the pilot program from their dates of commencement to October 2004. This paper considers the main findings of the review and draws from a number of case studies to reflect upon the potential of the Koori Courts to achieve a form of therapeutic jurisprudence. Rather than focusing upon the process within the Court, the paper examines the conditions which need to exist to ensure that the sentencing dispositions framed by the Court will be successful.