Problem-solving Courts
13 Graduate from Family Dependency Court
"The program helps parents recover from substance abuse, keeps families together and keeps children safe. It also saves millions of dollars in social services and court costs. In fact, the program has helped save $42 million over three years by reducing dependency petition filings by 48 percent. It has also saved $28 million each year to the county by decreasing children’s services worker case load and foster care costs. The program is paid for with federal grants and state funding.
According to a press release, in 2005, Riverside County became the first in the country to implement a pre-filing dependency drug court.
This is accomplished through the implementation of an innovative, comprehensive, and family-centered approach to keep families together prior to the removal of children from their home and filing of the petition with the court. As long as the parents stay engaged with the program a petition is never filed."
Special Circumstances Court To Be Launched in New Zealand
"Repeat drug offenders, the homeless, addicts and the mentally ill will soon have their day in a special court that will "sentence" them to treatment programmes instead of jail.
The special circumstances court, modelled on so-called "drug courts" common in the US, Australia, the UK and Canada, will be launched in Auckland next month."
For full article, see: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/3955558/New-court-for-homeless-add...
Veterans Courts: newest breed of problem-solving courts in need of funding
"vet courts – which seek to take defendants with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or other combat-related disorders into a specialized court setting in an effort to divert them from prosecution and jail where possible – are clearly needed."
For full article, see: http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:1060051
Blogging the Non-Adversarial Justice Conference Day 2
Last night we had the conference dinner. It was held at the Melbourne Aquarium on the Yarra River in central Melbourne. On one side we could see the river and on the other a large aquarium full of beautiful fish. At least we were not located near a shark tank! The President of the Court of Appeal of Victoria gave an interesting and entertaining after dinner speech, talking, amongst other things, about the role of therapeutic jurisprudence in an appeal court.
It is now day 2 of the conference. I will again blog the day. As with yesterday’s blog, here is my exclusion clause: what follows is a selection of thoughts and impressions rather than a comprehensive coverage of what each speaker says.
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Comprehensive Law-General
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Lawyer Well-being and Psychology
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Restorative Justice
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Therapeutic Jurisprudence
Topics:
Transforming Law
Topics:
Litigation
Topics:
Courts and Judiciary
Audience:
General Interest Blogging the Non-Adversarial Justice Conference
It is finally here – the first day of the sessions of the Non-Adversarial Justice: Implications for the Legal System and Society conference in Melbourne, Australia. After well over a year of work and planning for the conference we will see how it all turns out. It is exciting – seeing old friends from around the world, meeting new ones. Last night the Chief Magistrate of Victoria hosted a welcome reception, which was a wonderful event. It was good to be in the same room as so many people committed to more humane, psychologically optimal, comprehensive and inclusive approaches to resolving conflict. Leading lights in therapeutic jurisprudence, restorative justice, problem-solving courts, preventive law, ADR and holistic law are present. The possibility for cross-fertilisation is a wonderful opportunity in such a conference.
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Comprehensive Law-General
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Court Innovation and Problem Solving Courts
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Restorative Justice
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Therapeutic Jurisprudence
Topics:
Law School and Legal Education
Topics:
Transforming Law
Topics:
Best Practices and Skills
Topics:
Peace and Conflict Resolution
Topics:
Courts and Judiciary
Audience:
General Interest Solution-Focused Judging Bench Book
As some of the contributors to different vectors of the comprehensive law movement or non-adversarial justice – such as Peggy Hora, David Wexler, Bruce Winick and Victorian Deputy Chief Magistrate Jelena Popovic have observed – judging in a problem-solving court is significantly different from conventional judging. It is little wonder that mainstream legal education, legal practice and judicial education have hitherto largely not properly prepared judicial officers for this form of judging.
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Court Innovation and Problem Solving Courts
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Interdisciplinary Approaches
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Therapeutic Jurisprudence
Topics:
Courts and Judiciary
Audience:
General Interest Hon Peggy Fulton Hora in Melbourne
Monash Law Faculty has just had the pleasure of hosting a visit by Peggy Fulton Hora to Melbourne. It is not the best time of the year to be in Melbourne – it is winter and we sent her off last night with the wind building pace and a huge storm imminent. Being originally from Perth, I shall be glad when the cold weather comes to an end.
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Court Innovation and Problem Solving Courts
Cutting Edge Law Categories:
Therapeutic Jurisprudence
Topics:
Law School/Legal Education
Topics:
Courts and Judiciary
Audience:
General Interest
Audience:
Lawyers
Audience:
Teachers/Professors
Audience:
Law Students 
