Youth Koori Court

The Hon. AILEEN MacDONALD (14:13:12):

The Youth Koori Court is a revolutionary program within our legal system that deals specifically with cases involving young Indigenous persons, helping them to reconnect with family, community and culture to stop antisocial behaviour from escalating. The Coalition Government introduced the Youth Koori Court in 2015 as a pilot program at the Parramatta Children's Court in response to the significant over-representation of young Indigenous people in the criminal justice system. The Youth Koori Court is a modified process within the usual Children's Court process that deals with cases involving young Indigenous people between the ages of 10 and 17.

The Youth Koori Court program helps turn around the lives of Indigenous people by targeting the reasons they get into trouble with the law. The program connects those young people with support services while also encouraging a greater connection with family, community and culture. If key issues such as drugs, alcohol, mental health, housing and education are addressed, there is a greater chance of keeping young Indigenous offenders out of detention. Following its success at Parramatta, the Coalition Government provided $2.7 million to expand the court to Surry Hills, doubling the court's capacity to help vulnerable Indigenous young people. Operations at Surry Hills Children's Court commenced in February 2019. At the time the then CEO of Legal Aid NSW said:

The Youth Koori Court offers us a valuable window of opportunity to step into young people's lives and steady them, to set them back in balance, to reconnect them with culture and country. The power of this idea and the reason that it succeeds comes from direct involvement of the Aboriginal community in the administration of justice.

In July 2022 the Coalition Government committed a further $5.8 million to expand the court to Dubbo, bringing this innovative justice project to regional New South Wales. I share my recent experience of visiting the Youth Koori Court in Surry Hills. I have experienced court before in my role as a community corrections officer and have seen how daunting it can be. In contrast, what I witnessed in Surry Hills that day was a demonstration of inclusivity, cultural understanding and rehabilitation, all focused on empowering our young people to break free from the cycle of crime.

Time expired.

The court operates within the principle of respect for the unique cultural background and heritage of the young person, acknowledging that their experience may differ from other young people. A defining feature of the Koori Court is the involvement of Elders and other respected people from the community. During the case management, the Elders offer guidance, support and cultural wisdom, always with the best interests of the young person and community at heart. []

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