THE South Australian court system has avoided unprecedented financial cuts in Monday’s State Budget announcement, however a Mount Gambier solicitor believes the South East is not in the clear yet.
The State Budget released Monday confirmed the budget of the Courts Administration Authority (CAA) will be reduced annually accumulating to a $7.7m cut in the 2021/22 financial year.
However, the additional cuts foreshadowed by Chief Justice Chris Kourakis earlier this year were not made.
Justice Kourakis said the decision to refrain from making further cuts to the judicial system was a reflection of the concerns raised by key stakeholders.
“The State Courts Administration Council is grateful to the staff and community members who participated in its consultations in March and April,” Justice Kourakis said.
“The very serious adverse public impacts of reductions in court services exposed by those consultations will not be faced in the coming financial year.”
It was also announced the State Government’s would purchase the Sir Samuel Way Building in Victoria Square for $43.5m.
It will see the site come into State Government hands and cease the obligation for the Courts Administration Authority to pay rent to use the building, resulting in savings of more than $6m per annum.
However, Bersee Legal solicitor Dylan Walsh warned against celebration amid his own fears the purchase could be of a detriment to regional courts.
“The purchase is being funded by reducing the CAA budget by $6m and there is no discussion about whether that money will be re-allocated once the building is paid for,” he said.
“It is a concern because it seems our area may be put on the backburner again to allow for that loss in funding if it is not returned.
“I’m hopeful that it actually might be re-allocated to a country area and we could maybe get an upgrade in our court, but I do not think that will happen.”
Justice Kourakis admitted service cuts may need to be considered if the position to reduce the funding by $6m is maintained in future budgets.
“If that position is not ameliorated in future budgets by a more moderate reduction reflecting no more than a commercial rent, substantial service reductions may be necessary to meet the 2021/2022 target,” Justice Kourakis said.
“The CAA will continue to plan and consult over the measures which it may be forced to adopt to meet that target.”
Mr Walsh also believed allocating $1m to the Director of Public Prosecutions to address efficiency in complex court cases is inadequate.
“For the system to run as it has been designed, there has to be an allocation of funds to not only the DPP, but the Major Indictable Briefing Unit, Forensics SA and all the other agencies involved in the process,” he said.
“I am not saying the DPP do not need it or require it, but it’s not going to stop these delays.
“It’s a small short-term band-aid solution for something that is actually a serious problem in our courts at the moment.”
Attorney-General Vickie Chapman ordered an independent review of the Major Indictable Reforms introduced by the former Labor Government in March this year.
Three months on and Mr Walsh had no indication about when the review would be completed.
“I cannot say categorically that others have not heard about where that might be at, but solicitors do talk to eachother and I have heard nothing,” he said.
“It’s been a little while since it was announced and I have not heard, read or seen anything about it.”
