Court sheriffs win State Government support with independent, expert oversight

Calls to end the decades-long culture of alleged bullying in SA’s courts have won State Government support, with independent, expert oversight on the way.

The State Government has responded to a parliamentary committee report about alleged bullying of workers within SA’s courts.

Calls for greater, independent oversight of and scrutiny into the alleged culture of workplace bullying affecting court sheriff’s officers have won State Government support.

In a response tabled in parliament on Tuesday, Attorney-General Vickie Chapman agrees human resources experts should sit on the council that governs SA’s courts.

However, Ms Chapman has also rejected a parliamentary committee’s recommendation that sheriff’s officers be moved under the supervision of the Department for Correctional Services.

Such a move, she said, would needlessly “fragment” the officers’ jobs without increasing their protections – and notes staff have already rejected the recommendation.

“It is critical to the smooth running of long-running (trial) lists that the sheriff’s officers and court clerks are responsible to the same management authority,” she said.

“Mixed lines of communication may cause disruptions and delay court hearings.”

In November, the committee’s report found the Courts Administration Authority’s “inconsistency and lack of accountability” had led to “significant adverse impacts” on officers’ wellbeing.

It recommended they be placed under DCS control, while Chief Justice Kourakis said officers would get to vote on who oversees them in a consultation process.

After State Courts Administrator Julie-Anne Burgess resigned, further allegations emerged of senior staff engaging in sexual harassment and consorting with known criminals.

Attorney-General Vickie Chapman. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe.

Officers wrote to he State Courts Administration Council, saying only an internal overhaul of management could end the festering, decades-long culture of bullying.

On Tuesday, Ms Chapman tendered her formal response to the committee’s report and its recommendations.

She said she would not support a move to DCS, nor giving that department power to appoint the head sheriff instead of the CAA.

She also did not support any limiting of the sheriff’s role in recruitment of officers or in human resources and management responsibilities.

“To limit the role of the sheriff to maintaining security and orderly conduct (only) would be a departure from what is the current standard across the public sector,” she said.

Ms Chapman supported a recommendation that the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment “monitor and report on” the CAA going forward.

“The Commissioner is supportive of this recommendation … it will aid in enhancing consistency, transparency and fairness within the CAA,” she said.

She also backed changing the way the CAA reports to parliament to further “improve accountability”, and to funding additions to the Administration Council’s line-up.

Ms Chapman said those two people would be non-judicial officers with “extensive expertise” in “human resources management, finance or administration”.

“A Bill will be introduced providing for these appointments,” she said.