Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory

Strategic Statement

The Court’s purpose is:

  1. The independent exercise of judicial power in the administration of justice in the Territory.
  2. To maintain and promote the rule of law.
  3. To provide leadership within the justice system.

The Court achieves its purpose by:

  1. Delivering impartial, high quality and timely decisions.
  2. Resolving each case by the process most suited to achieving a just, quick, and efficient outcome.
  3. Ensuring transparent, easy, and cost-effective access to the Court for all.
  4. Communicating openly, clearly, and respectfully.
  5. Being accountable for the use of public resources.
  6. Developing and applying best practice in all areas of operation.
  7. Exercising supervisory jurisdiction over other courts and tribunals in the Territory.

Judicial Priorities for 2021/ 2022

  1. Review and update all practice directions.
  2. Review and refine the criminal case conferencing scheme.
  3. Review the practices and procedures of the Drug and Alcohol Sentencing List.
  4. Review processes to encourage the early resolution of disputes.
  5. As part of implementing the International Framework for Court Excellence, review the Court against the IFCE and address findings from the 2019 and 2021 user surveys of the Court.
  6. Maintain ongoing review of the Court’s practices and procedures for addressing health and listing issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
  7. Investigate and pursue opportunities for community engagement in the post pandemic environment.

Download a copy [PDF 74KB]