Indigenous Young People and the NSW Children's Court: Magistrates’ Perceptions of the Court's Criminal Jurisdiction

Australian Indigenous Law Review, 19: 34-44, 2017

UNSW Law Research Paper No. 17-59

12 Pages Posted: 30 Aug 2017 Last revised: 13 Jul 2018

See all articles by Lorana Bartels

Lorana Bartels

Australian National University (ANU) - ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods

Jane Bolitho

Victoria University of Wellington

Kelly Richards

School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology

Date Written: 2016

Abstract

This article explores the perceptions of New South Wales (NSW) Children’s Court magistrates concerning the issues and challenges facing Indigenous young people coming before the Court in its criminal jurisdiction. Drawing from the NSW component of a national study into Australia’s Children’s Courts, 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews were thematically analysed. The main challenges for Indigenous young people in the Court are considered and magistrates’ attitudes to potential court reform explored, with a specific focus on Indigenous youth sentencing courts. The NSW findings are contextualised within the broader findings on Indigenous young people from the national study of the Children’s Courts.

Keywords: Australia, Aboriginal, Indigenous, Children's Court, criminal justice, juvenile justice

Suggested Citation

Bartels, Lorana and Bolitho, Jane and Richards, Kelly, Indigenous Young People and the NSW Children's Court: Magistrates’ Perceptions of the Court's Criminal Jurisdiction (2016). Australian Indigenous Law Review, 19: 34-44, 2017 , UNSW Law Research Paper No. 17-59, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3028546

Lorana Bartels (Contact Author)

Australian National University (ANU) - ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods ( email )

Beryl Rawson Building (13)
Canberra, ACT 0200
Australia

Jane Bolitho

Victoria University of Wellington ( email )

P.O. Box 600
Wellington, 6140
New Zealand

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/restorative-justice

Kelly Richards

School of Justice, Queensland University of Technology ( email )

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