Home → About us → Research program → Research projects → Murri Court evaluation, Queensland
Murri Court evaluation, Queensland
- AIC research program
- Start date: January 2007
Description
The Murri Court commenced in Brisbane in 2002 and now operates in various court locations across Queensland. The Murri Court provides a forum in which cultural issues are considered and where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have an input into the sentencing process. Male and female Aboriginal elders or respected persons sit with the Magistrate, and advise on cultural issues relevant to the offender and the matter at hand. The research is funded by the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General, and seeks to evaluate the extent to which the Murri Court program is meeting its objectives in terms of:
- reducing the overrepresentation of Indigenous offenders in prison and juvenile detention
- reducing the rates of failure to appear in court
- decreasing the reoffending rate and number of court orders breached by Indigenous offenders
- strengthening the partnership between the Magistrates Court and Indigenous communities regarding how they deal with Indigenous justice matters.
Related links
Indigenous courts and justice practices in Australia http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi2/tandi277.pdf
Indigenous criminal justice http://www.aic.gov.au/topics/indigenous/
Indigenous justice in Australia http://www.aic.gov.au/topics/indigenous/interventions/alternatives/initiatives.html