New Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal to embrace technology, and manage “tsunami” of DV cases

A “TSUNAMI” of domestic violence matters has left the courts overwhelmed, new Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal says.

A “TSUNAMI” of domestic violence matters has left the courts overwhelmed, the new Chief Magistrate says.

In an exclusive interview following her swearing in ceremony earlier this month, Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal has told The Advertiser that dealing with an increasing number of intervention orders will be a key challenge for her leadership.

“The courts are confronted by a tsunami of (domestic violence) matters. We are overwhelmed by the number of matters and have had to add extra lists,” she said.

“The work is difficult and challenging and we have a team of dedicated magistrates who sit in these courts.”

She said intervention orders were clearly the area which has seen the largest growth.

“What I can say is that the legislation is such that police and people are able to access the courts in the way they are and the courts have got to respond to those requests.

“It’s not only an increase in the police intervention . but it means that as a result in the increase in the number of those orders there are more people who are then breaching those orders which is having a flow on effect in terms of people being charged by the police for breaching those orders, so our numbers are increasing just in terms of custody matters.”

Chief Magistrate Hribal, who has had a 35 year legal career within the civil and criminal jurisdictions, said the courts will also look to embrace new technologies to slash costs and enable easy access to justice.

“With the advent of GPS monitored home detention the possibility for sentencing to detention out of jail is a real possibility.

“Monitoring devices exist that can tell Corrections not only where a person is but whether they have consumed alcohol. That technology exists today. The alcohol detection system is expensive and not currently in use but is being considered.”

Other technologies either in use or being considered by the courts include SMS text reminders for alleged criminals, and for those involved in civil cases, reminding them of their court date. Online adjournments, the use of iPads by juries in trials, and increasing videolink from jails are also in use or being considered.

Chief Magistrate Hribal said she will continue the work of her predecessor, Elizabeth Bolton, by focusing on crime prevention and rehabilitation, especially for perpetrators with drug and alcohol issues, over the “revolving door” of incarceration.

She was admitted to the bar in 1981 and appointed as a magistrate in 2007.

Chief Magistrate Hribal, whose husband is a lawyer, has a son, aged 23 who is a pharmacist, and a daughter, 21, who is studying medicine.