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Court Focus on Sexual OffencesDuring 2004–05, the Court exercised a high level ofinvolvement regarding the management of sexualoffence cases.During 2004–05, the Court exer-Court Focus on Sexual Offences fea-The List was established in part as aPre-trial management by a Listingcised a high level of involvementtures Judge Sexton’s commentary onresponse to the recommendations inJudge will be undertaken with a viewregarding the management of sexualthe work of the Court with regard tothe Victorian Law Reformto identifying and defining issuesoffence cases, including:the new List, as follows.Commission’s Report on Sexualearly and resolving these issues• changes brought about bylegislation such as the SexOffenders Registration Act2004 and the Serious SexualOffenders Monitoring Act2005;• participation in the SexualAssault Advisory Committeethrough meetings by ChiefJudge Rozenes and JudgeSexton; and• attendance at a forum conductedby the Sexual Assault AdvisoryCommittee in June 2005.In July 2005, the Court initiated aplan to establish a Sexual OffencesList for managing pre-trial hearingswith respect to sexual offencescases. Judge Sexton will manage thelist.On 1 October 2005, the Court willbegin a new list—the SexualOffences List. Its purpose is to makethe trial process more responsive tothe needs of all participants, andthereby more efficient, by managingthe pre-trial stage of these complexmatters.Sexual offence cases are complexbecause the law relating to sexualoffences is complex, and becausethe subject matter is difficult for theparticipants:• the accused who faces seriousallegations;• the complainant who givesevidence of an embarrassingnature;• the lawyers and the Judge whomust act professionally yet withunderstanding; and• the jury who must determine,without bias or prejudice,whether the charges have beenOffences. The criminal justice systemmust be fair to those accused ofa crime, but this principle does notexclude the system from takingaccount of the needs of complainants,who have a direct interestin the outcome, and account of thepublic interest in reporting seriousallegations, in the fair prosecution ofthose cases, and in the conviction ofperpetrators.Initiatives of the Sexual Offences Listinclude providing a mechanism forearly pre-trial rulings and introducinga practice that complainants,who may be children or other vulnerablewitnesses, are not requiredto be at court until after the jury isempanelled. By way of such measures,the Court seeks, as far as ispossible, to reduce stress on potentiallyvulnerable witnesses, and toavoid delays and interruptions to thetrial once the jury is empanelled.where possible and appropriate,either by a ruling of the listing Judge,or by agreement between the parties.The remaining issues will bedecided by the trial Judge to whomthe case is ultimately allocated.Making the trial process in sexualoffences cases more efficient willbenefit those whom the system ofcriminal justice serves—the public—whether they come into contactwith the system as accused persons,witnesses or jurors.Refer to the Practice Note and Noticeto Practitioners on the Court’s website www.countycourt.vic.gov.aufor further details on the SexualOffences List.proved—all in an emotionallyfraughtenvironment.Year in Review 17
Her Honour Judge Sexton, Judge in Charge of the Sexual Offences List due to commence in October 2005.Court Performance18County Court of Victoria 2004–05 Annual Report
Page 1: County Courtof VictoriaIn Touch wit
Page 4 and 5: About the County Court of VictoriaT
Page 6 and 7: Her Honour Judge Curtain.Year in Re
Page 8 and 9: The Year at a GlanceItem 2004-05 20
Page 10 and 11: Prime ActivityAchievementCounty Cou
Page 12 and 13: Report of the Chief JudgeWe aim to
Page 14 and 15: the Court on the 8th and 9th floors
Page 16 and 17: Registryduring 2004-05 and acquired
Page 19: In Touch with Our CommunityRepresen
Page 23 and 24: Civil JurisdictionCases FinalisedDu
Page 25 and 26: Civil Jurisdictionmediation. As a r
Page 27 and 28: Civil Jurisdictiontort reforms cont
Page 29 and 30: Civil JurisdictionEfforts continued
Page 31 and 32: Criminal JurisdictionJudges of the
Page 33 and 34: Criminal Jurisdictionthe process to
Page 35 and 36: Circuit SittingsJudges of the Court
Page 37 and 38: Court Focus on Serious InjuryIn res
Page 39 and 40: How We Are GovernedAdministration o
Page 41 and 42: The County Court RegistryThe Court
Page 43 and 44: Judicial Training, Support and Serv
Page 45 and 46: Judicial Training, Support and Serv
Page 47 and 48: The Court’s PeopleJudicial Suppor
Page 49 and 50: The Court’s PeopleIT Training Pro
Page 51 and 52: Service Delivery to Court UsersWe a
Page 53 and 54: Service Delivery to Court Usersorde
Page 55 and 56: The County Court Complexthe Care an
Page 57 and 58: Operating Statement and Financial C
Page 59 and 60: Court Links with External Organisat
Page 61 and 62: Explanation of TerminologyADRAltern
Page 63 and 64: Web Site InformationDuring 2004-05,
Page 65: www.countycourt.vic.gov.auCounty Co

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