SA’s court sheriff’s officers are tormented by bullying, belligerent and inadequate bosses in ‘festering’ culture, report finds

Bullying, belligerence and intimidation – a shocking official report says those who guard our courts have been tormented by their bosses for years.

Court sheriff’s officers have “suffered in silence over many, many years” in a “festering” culture of belligerence and bullying created by “grossly inadequate” management and leadership, a parliamentary inquiry has found.

In a damning 253-page report, the Statutory Authorities Committee has recommended the Courts Administration Authority be immediately stripped of its “despotic” power over officers.

It says the CAA’s “inconsistency and lack of accountability” has led to “significant adverse impacts” on officers’ wellbeing, causing diagnosed mental health issues.

Those impacts, it says, cost taxpayers more than $1.6 million in workplace and psychological compensation payments in a single year.

It recommends officers be placed under the control of the Department for Correctional Services so their status and rights as public servants receive “full protection”.

“The human resources practices dealing with sheriff’s officers within the CAA is grossly inadequate … employees complained of a consistent belligerence by management left to fester over many years,” it says.

“(They) spoke of management relocating those who made the bullying and harassment complaints instead of dealing with the specific bullying and harassment complaints, leaving problems to fester for years.

“(We) do not suggest such a recommendation lightly, but find we must do so to ensure the health, wellbeing and safety of all sheriff’s officers, including those who have suffered in silence over many, many years.”

Sheriff’s officers escort a supporter of the defendant in a 2017 criminal case out of court.

The committee has, since February last year:

RECEIVED 50 written submissions and heard oral evidence from 27 witnesses.

HEARD just four positive accounts of the CAA’s handling of officers.

FOUND evidence of bullying dating back to 1995.

It says 73 per cent of bullying incidents occurred in the past 10 years, and 63 per cent since 2014.

The CAA, it found, had created:

AN unclear complaints process.

FEAR of retribution in those who complained of unethical and unprofessional behaviour.

A LOW level of communication with staff.

A DISCIPLINARY system that did not provide adequate evidence for findings against officers.

It said the CAA had spent $1 million on workers compensation, and more than $671,000 on psychological claim costs, in 2018-2019 alone.

The committee criticised the CAA’s “recurring reluctance” to answer questions, and its requests that material be kept confidential before handing it over.

Officers due to give evidence, it says, were subject to intimidation and threats that their department would be privatised if the committee found against the CAA.

“Confidential evidence showed the State Courts Administrator, Julie-Anne Burgess, making decisions on the hours to be offered to sheriffs who had made a complaint which was still under investigation,” it says.

“This behaviour is worrying … this lack of accountability cannot, in this committee’s view, continue.

“The fact that questionable behaviours have been allowed to go on for so long raises the issue as to whether the role of the State Court Administrator and the recruitment powers of the Sheriff are appropriate without proper oversight or accountability.”

It says Chief Justice Chris Kourakis, Chief Judge Michael Evans and the state’s chief magistrate, Judge Mary-Louise Hribal, should have an “involved” role in ensuring officers’ wellbeing.

Should they lack “the capacity to do so, as this committee suspects”, it recommends oversight be transferred to DCS instead.

“(This) would bring it in line with modern-day acceptable and accountable workplace practices,” it says.

“We have the view that all employees have the right to a fair, equitable and legal workplace, with prudent oversight and accountability in place.”

The CAA is scheduled to respond publicly to the report on Monday.