Government promise for safer courts welcomed

Ballarat’s will be one of two regional courts to become Specialist Family Violence Courts as part of a $130.3 million package unveiled in Tuesday’s state budget.

The upgrades to five of the state’s courts will include making safer spaces within courts, security systems and specialist magistrates.

The upgrades are among 227 Family Violence Royal Commission recommendations. 

The push for safer courts is included in the government’s $1.9 billion fund for family violence.

Representatives from Communities of Respect and Equality Alliance (CoRE) said a lack of privacy at Ballarat Magistrates’ Court endangered victims. Victims had been confronted at court by their alleged perpetrator, or had their car followed.

They had also been forced to sit in the general waiting room because the victims’ room was full.

Central Highlands Legal Centre acting principal lawyer Anita Rose-Innes said the court building’s design often forced victims to come face-to-face with their alleged perpetrator en route to the courtroom.

“It’s running the gauntlet past all these people with their supporters, saying things to you as you walk past. 

“People can’t avoid each other and there simply are not enough private rooms.”

The full details of the upgrade to Ballarat Magistrates’ Court are unknown. 

SalvosConnect’s Kellie Brown said women had been followed from court because a lack of private spaces had allowed their alleged perpetrator to identify and tail them.

“Their anonymity is such a big part of their safety so the openness that people face in the courts can lead to their safety being put at risk. They can be followed from the courts, their car might be identified or their friend’s car or their agency. There’s just no protection for them.”

Ms Brown said the lack of privacy deterred women from going to court.

“They might have been down that track before or they might just know that that court is not going to be a safe place for them and that process is not going to be a safe process,” she said.

CoRE members also said the court needed more remote witness rooms. 

Ballarat lawyer Dianne Hadden said the location of the court’s one remote witness room forced the victim to walk down a narrow corridor, past everybody lining up for the family violence registrar. 

“If my client wants to use a remote witness facility they have to book in online and then they have to walk the gauntlet past the other parties and wait for the policemen to open the door. 

“There's no toilet in there and once you're in there you're in there. They can't just come in and out like a McDonald's drive through because they're in there until the evidence is given.”

Ms Hadden has campaigned for improved security at the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court for 10 years. Attorney General Martin Pakula announced new security measures for the court last September, to come into effect this year.

These included a new walk-through metal detector, new screening wands, and five new dedicated court security officers. 

Security upgrades will be rolled out between July 1 and September across the state.