Gold Coast court: Lawyers call for better technology to help justice more swiftly
A severe lack of technology is delaying justice and causing scheduling nightmares at the Southport courthouse.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A SEVERE lack of technology is delaying justice and causing scheduling nightmares at the Southport courthouse.
Or as one top Gold Coast lawyer said: “We are not a tin pot courthouse.”
Like the business world, the justice system went more online to help cope with the coronavirus pandemic. The restrictions mean a majority of those in custody appear via videolink, and interstate witnesses are also giving evidence virtually.
However, a lack of screens in correctional centres, technology breakdowns and scheduling double-ups is causing havoc.
“It’s good when it works,” Allen & Searing director Jodi Allen said. “It would be great if it worked properly.”
OUR BEST OFFER IS BACK: FULL ACCESS JUST $1 FOR 28 DAYS
Since the courts opened after the initial lockdown, the Bulletin has seen countless cases delayed or rescheduled due to videolink difficulties.
It is also not uncommon for court to stop while a technician tries to fix the video facilities. This is despite the government investing $750,000 in the past year and Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan saying he was not aware of any concerns.
Other examples include:
● The committal hearing of Jarvis Farrier, accused of stabbing Harrison Geppert to death, was delayed for weeks because a videolink with the prison could only be scheduled for an hour a day.
● Technical difficulties during another committal hearing meant lawyers were emailing photos for a witness to look at instead of just being able to share a screen.
● The first day of the committal hearing of Jayden Moorea, accused of throwing his girlfriend Breeana Robinson from their 11th-floor balcony, was delayed for an hour while the videolink facilities were fixed.
Ms Allen said the backlog was often caused because there were not enough videolink facilities in prisons.
With a majority of prisoners not being physically taken to court due to the coronavirus, every courthouse in the state is vying to get videolink slots.
Lawyers are also seeking videolink times to speak to their clients before court, but there is about a two-week wait.
Ms Allen said there was simply not enough capability in prisons.
“If more funding could go into providing the prisons with videolink rooms then it would save money in the long term.”
Ms Allen expected the demand for videolink to continue post-COVID because it eliminated the cost of moving those in custody from prison to court.
Gatenby Criminal Lawyers director Michael Gatenby slammed the lack of facilities at Southport court: “We are not a tin pot courthouse.
“We would be one of the biggest in the state yet we can’t do the simplist things.”
Mr Gatenby said there was a need for a video room for solicitors to use in court to talk to clients in custody.
He said there was also a need in the magistrates court for touch screens that allowed witnesses to mark photographs in a way an entire courtroom could see. Those facilities are already available in the district court at Southport.
Hannay Lawyers director Chris Hannay said videolink facilities at prisons were “disgraceful”.
“They do not keep schedules, they very regularly put prisoners in the wrong rooms,” he said.
“The court will allocate 15 to 20 minutes and you are waiting there for them to get prisoners out of their cells.”
Attorney-General and Justice Minister Shannon Fentiman said $9.33 million would be spent statewide upgrading audiovisual capacity in court houses.
“The connection relies on the Federal Government’s NBN network and I’m advised a full-time onsite technical support officer is also stationed within Southport court to attend to any VC issues that arise,” she said.
Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan said about $750,000 had been invested in videoconferencing at correctional centres across the state in the last 12 months.
“A large amount of effort has gone into streamlining the videoconferencing processes to improve efficiency which has been well supported by the judiciary across the state,” he said.
“We have worked very hard to ensure that legal representatives and courts are able to access prisoners during the COVID-19 restrictions, and we liaise closely with them to ensure prisoners are available. We are not aware of any ongoing concerns regarding access to prisoners.”
Mr Ryan said about 29 courts videoconference devices and 167 virtual personal visit kiosks were implemented in 2020.
He said correctional centres would continue to focus on improving videoconferencing capabilities.
Naughty nanna: Boozy beachside lunch ends in nasty crash
A Gold Coast grandmother’s decision to get behind the wheel after a long-lunch has landed her in hospital and in big trouble. Read what happened.
Gold Coast teacher accused of exposing himself to students
A high school teacher who was stood down after being charged with exposing himself to students remained silent on the allegations after facing court for the first time.