Australia's Children's Courts Today and Tomorrow

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

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2. Introduction: Australia’s Children’s Courts – The Study and Its Context

   • Rosemary Sheehan

   Pages 1-6

3. The Mandate of the Children’s Courts

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7

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4. The Mandate of the Children’s Courts

   1. The Childrens Court in the Australian Capital Territory

      • Peter Camilleri, Lorraine Thomson, Morag McArthur

      Pages 9-26

   2. The Children’s Court in New South Wales

      • Elizabeth Fernandez, Jane Bolitho, Patricia Hansen, Myvanwy Hudson

      Pages 27-44

   3. Youth Justice, Child Protection and the Role of the Youth Courts in the Northern Territory

      • Deborah West, David Heath

      Pages 45-64

   4. The Children’s Court in Queensland: Where to from Here?

      • Clare Tilbury, Paul Mazerolle

      Pages 65-83

   5. The Children’s Court of South Australia

      • Daniel King, Andrew Day, Paul Delfabbro

      Pages 85-101

   6. The Children’s Court in Tasmania

      • Max Travers, Rob White, Michael McKinnon

      Pages 103-121

   7. The Children’s Court of Victoria

      • Allan Borowski, Rosemary Sheehan

      Pages 123-142

   8. Youth Justice and Child Protection: The Children’s Court in Western Australia

      • Caroline Spiranovic, Joseph Clare, Mike Clare, Brenda Clare

      Pages 143-162

5. Australia in the International Context

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 163-163

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   2. A Portrait of Australia’s Children’s Courts: Findings of a National Assessment

      • Allan Borowski

      Pages 165-185

   3. Care and Protection: Australia and the International Context

      • Marie Connolly

      Pages 187-196

   4. Juvenile Justice: Australian Court Responses Situated in the International Context

      • Judy Cashmore

      Pages 197-207

6. Back Matter

   Pages 209-216

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The Children’s Court is one of society’s most important social institutions. At the same time, it is steeped in controversy. This is in large measure due to the persistence and complexity of the problems with which it deals, namely, juvenile crime and child abuse and neglect. Despite the importance of the Children’s Court as a means of holding young people accountable for their anti-social behaviour and parents for the care of their children, it has not been the subject of close study. Certainly it has not been previously studied nationally. This book, an edited collection, is based on the findings of study that spanned the six States and two Territories of Australia. The study sought to examine the current challenges faced by the Children’s Court and to identify desirable and feasible directions for reform in each State and Territory. A further unique feature of this study is that it canvassed the views of judges and magistrates who preside over this court.

• Care and Protection
• Child protection
• Children's Courts
• Indigenous child welfare
• Judicial decision-making
• Juvenile Justice
• Mandate of the Children's Court

• Department of Social Work, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

  Rosemary Sheehan

• School of Social Work and Social Policy, University La Trobe, Melbourne, Australia

  Allan Borowski

Allan Borowski is Professor of Social Work and Social Policy, Department of Social Work and Social Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne campus, Victoria 3086. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia a member of the Research Panel, Criminology Research Council. Rosemary Sheehan is Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work, Monash University, Victoria; she holds a Governor-in-Council appointment to the Children’s Court of Victoria to conduct alternative dispute resolution conferences and is a member of the Victorian Child Death Review Committee.

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