The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales: Moving Towards a Multi-Door Courthouse (Parts 1 and 2)

Abstract

The concept of a multi-door courthouse is of a dispute resolution centre offering intake services together with an array of dispute resolution processes under one roof. The idea is to match the appropriate dispute resolution process to the particular dispute. This addresses the demand for individualised justice – but it also improves the effectiveness of the system of the administration of justice. This article explores the concept of a multi-door courthouse. Part 1 recounts the history of the development of the concept and elucidates its elements. Part 2 provides a case study of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, implementing elements of the multi-door courthouse concept by institutionalising a panoply of dispute resolution processes within the court, offering intake services, and matching one or more dispute resolution processes to each particular dispute.