YEAR IN REVIEW

Information Services

The library supports the information needs of the Reference, research, document delivery and judiciary and wider legal community training by providing a range of services aimed at The library’s Information Services team providing timely and accurate legal information. continued to assist the judiciary and legal profession with locating and using available Web services legal research tools within the library’s print The increased accessibility of online information and online collections. The team responded to has had a significant impact on the way libraries a total of 9493 information enquiries in 2013–14, interact with their users. In 2013–14 more than comprising 3835 reference, 173 research and 6.4 million page views were recorded from the 5485 document delivery requests. A total of SCLQ website, Judicial Virtual Library and library 11,750 documents were supplied in response to catalogue. Our websites are the primary means these queries. of accessing our information resources and Despite a decline in use of traditional reference services for the majority of our customers. and research services in recent years, usage In February 2014 the library launched a figures for 2013–14 indicate a modest increase redeveloped and rebranded public website, in use compared with the previous year. This providing improved access to Queensland suggests that the level of use of these services unreported decisions, online resources and may be plateauing. It is possible that the level judicial papers. In addition an improved ‘power of use in 2012–13 was lower due to a temporary search’ facility was implemented for the library interruption in services when the library catalogue, allowing users to conduct a single relocated to the new Queen Elizabeth II Courts search across multiple databases subscribed to of Law and a longer closure period over the by the library. Christmas break. An associated web subsite for the Sir Harry The library continues to promote its range of Gibbs Legal Heritage Centre was developed to information services to the legal profession by provide remote access to the library’s growing contributing each month to the Queensland Law collection of legal heritage resources. Society’s Proctor and the Bar Association of Queensland’s Hearsay journals. Redevelopment of the Judicial Virtual Library (JVL) and public access intranets for A more structured training program was and regional libraries is underway and will be implemented during the year to improve user completed during the second half of 2014. research skills and enhance awareness of library services and collections. In 2013–14, 67 individual and group training sessions were delivered for the judiciary and legal profession.

Supreme Court Library Queensland Annual Report 2013–14 13 Current awareness services in law, a free and convenient legal information service. Published weekly, Queensland Legal A number of current awareness services Updater covers the most important new continue to be published to facilitate access to Queensland cases and legislative developments information. from the past week as well as all new practice These services can be accessed from the SCLQ directions issued. It also contains selected website and Judicial Virtual Library, or by free articles and speeches, upcoming professional email subscriptions. The format and content of development seminars, and recent additions these services are subject to ongoing review to the library’s collection. In 2013–14 it was and development, and this will be a focus for the accessed by more than 2200 subscribers. library during 2014–15. Magistrates Legislation Bulletin, published by Judicial Current Awareness Bulletin is a daily the library since 2008, in consultation with that newsletter specifically tailored to provide court, is a specialised updater which aims to information to the judiciary on legal and non- alert magistrates to current legal developments. legal topics of interest. In 2013–14, 8062 articles Containing a legislative update schedule, lists were distributed, with 86% read by subscribers. of new reprints and important regulations, and summaries of newly introduced bills, 16 issues Queensland Legal Updater offers all members were published in 2013–14. of the legal profession, and anyone interested

Collection Management

The library is the central repository for legal in Brisbane. In 2013–14, the library staff spent information in Queensland. By maintaining 506 hours maintaining the Queensland Court extensive print and online collections the of Appeal, Brisbane Magistrates Court and library seeks to ensure convenient access to Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal a comprehensive range of legal resources for collections, cataloguing 122 titles and filing 1712 members of the judiciary and legal profession loose-leaf updates and legislation issues. throughout Queensland. In 2013–14 the library purchased 161 new Collection development and maintenance monographs and maintained subscriptions to 630 print journals, legislation services and law Under the guidance of the Collection Sub- reports series. Committee, we are continuing to develop and review our collections. The print collection, During the year the library continued to lead incorporating the primary collection in Brisbane negotiations for subscription renewals on behalf and satellite collections in eight regional libraries, of the courts. In early 2013 the library secured comprises 159,567 items. for the Queensland judiciary a three year trial of all the Thomson Reuters ProView eBook and Increasingly legal content is being sought and eSubscription content. In late 2013 the library published online. In 2013–14 the library catalogue negotiated a similar agreement with LexisNexis listed 435 online resources (96 of which were to access its LN Red digital loose-leaf collection licensed resources), which enabled access including key titles such as Carter’s Criminal to more than 64,361 online full text titles for Law of Queensland, Cross on Evidence and Civil registered library users. Additionally, the library Procedure Queensland. maintains an extensive collection of digitised legal and historical documents, currently These trials of ProView and LN Red publications numbering 14,535, of which 4646 are publicly are important for the library as they offer a cost available through the library catalogue. A ‘power effective and low risk extended opportunity to search’ option implemented in the library’s explore the feasibility of replacing all or some catalogue now allows users to conduct a single print loose-leaf subscriptions with electronic search across multiple databases subscribed to versions accessed on mobile devices such as by the library. tablet and laptop computers. The advantages of these ‘go anywhere’ electronic versions are In addition to the SCLQ library collections in many and potential benefits of migrating to Brisbane and regional courthouses, library electronic subscriptions are substantial, in terms staff also service three external collections

14 Supreme Court Library Queensland Annual Report 2013–14 of both reduced maintenance and transport Annual expenditure on regional libraries remains costs and greater ease of use and convenience. consistent and commensurate with the size of Advantages include: each collection. In 2013–14 expenditure on the two largest regional collections, in the • portability and compact size (many multi and courthouse libraries, was volume publications can be stored on a $91,795 and $87,257 respectively. Annual single tablet) expenditure on the Cairns courthouse library • ease and speed of updating (typically totalled $51,879. a publication is automatically updated from the internet in a minute or two each month, compared with the laborious, time consuming and error prone filing of updates to print loose-leaf publications) • the elimination of postage and freight costs for updates • independence from the internet (an online connection is only needed when updating content) • searchability • the ability to create electronic bookmarks and notes within the text, and • the ability to copy and paste content to external documents.

Regional libraries Print collections are maintained in eight regional courthouse libraries, with significant holdings in Townsville, Rockhampton and Cairns. The judiciary in regional Queensland has full access to all of our online resources through the Judicial Virtual Library. Where our licences permit, regional and remote legal practitioners can access library resources online from the SCLQ public website. Internet-enabled information kiosks in Townsville, Rockhampton and Cairns courthouse libraries provide full access to the library’s online collections. Cairns Courthouse Library was upgraded and modernised in early 2014. This project, substantially funded by the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, was initiated by the Hon Justice JD Henry. New PCs and copying facilities were included in the upgrade to enhance access to online content available through the library website and catalogue. A significant rationalisation of the print collection was completed, reducing shelving requirements and creating space for additional furniture to accommodate library users in comfort. New PCs were installed in the Rockhampton and Townsville courthouse libraries during the year as well. ADSL internet connections were installed at the Townsville, Rockhampton and Cairns courthouse libraries to improve the speed, security and reliability of internet access for users.

Supreme Court Library Queensland Annual Report 2013–14 15 Judgments Services

The library is the primary and official publisher Queensland Legal Indices (subscription service), and distributor of Queensland unreported and the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules Bulletin decisions from the Supreme Court, District are available via the CaseLaw Plus tab. CaseLaw Court, Magistrates Court, Queensland Civil services recorded more than 2.5 million page and Administrative Tribunal and Queensland views over the year. Industrial Relations Commission. Since 1 July As the publishing arm of the Queensland Courts, 2013 the library also maintains and publishes the library has maintained its commitment to the Queensland Sentencing Information prioritising the publication of full text judgments Service (QSIS), which promotes consistency in from Queensland courts and tribunals. Supplying sentencing in Queensland courts. judgments online has been a key element of the library’s focus on facilitating access to current CaseLaw legal information. Most decisions are published In February 2014 the library launched a new online within an hour of being handed down, public website, incorporating our new branding making the SCLQ website the primary and and logo. As part of that redevelopment most authoritative access point for Queensland project a new CaseLaw section was created to caselaw. In 2013–14 the library published 2434 provide a central access point for Queensland new decisions from Queensland courts and decisions, with improved search and browse tribunals, increasing the total number of full text options. Additional research tools, including the decisions available through CaseLaw to 28,577. Criminal Codes Appellate Decisions Database,

Summary of Queensland decisions published in 2013–14

Court of Appeal - 388

Supreme Court Trial Division - 315

District Court - 333

Magistrates Court - 32

Mental Health Court - 27

Industrial Court - 17

Planning and Environment Court - 86

Childrens Court - 12

QCAT Appeals - 343

QCAT - 766

Queensland Industrial Relations Commission - 106

Sentencing remarks - 9

16 Supreme Court Library Queensland Annual Report 2013–14 Augmenting its extensive CaseLaw repository, from 1 January 2014 the library User agreements as at 30 June 2014 assumed responsibility for the Category Number of agreements publication of all Industrial Solicitors/firms 88 Court of Queensland (ICQ), Queensland Industrial Barristers 76 Relations Commission (QIRC), Organisations 19 and Industrial Registrar (IR) decisions. As at 30 June 2014 123 of those decisions have been published by the library.

In 2013–14 the library continued Unique Visitors By Category — Financial Year 2013–14 to supply Queensland Organisation Unique visitors judgments and judicial papers to: Judiciary & DJAG (including 2052 Queensland DPP etc) • AustLII • BarNet Jade Queensland Police Service 420 • CCH Legal Aid Queensland 236 • Legal Aid Queensland Supreme Court Library 247 • LexisNexis Queensland • Thomson Reuters Commonwealth DPP 65 Distributing these decisions allows the library to partner with national legal content forums and leading commercial legal information publishers in In 2013–14 the library processed 3400 sentencing remarks, 248 . Court of Appeal judgments and 103 case summaries. Some initial issues with obtaining transcripts and errors in the transcripts were Queensland Sentencing overcome through negotiations with stakeholders. The library has Information Service implemented a number of enhancements to the service to improve From 1 July 2013 the library searching and to encourage more frequent use of QSIS. An online assumed full responsibility for version of the Parole Flowchart was developed to guide users maintaining and administering through various questions relevant to a matter enabling them to the Queensland Sentencing quickly identify whether an offender is eligible for parole release or Information Service (QSIS) parole eligibility. Improved navigation of legislation has also been database, previously published implemented. Further enhancements are planned for 2014–15. by the Department of Justice and Attorney-General. QSIS is a free service available to the judiciary and legal profession which provides access to a large database of sentencing information. Its purpose is to assist with the administration of the criminal justice system by helping the courts achieve consistency in sentencing. Criminal law practitioners are eligible to apply for free access to the database. The library currently maintains 183 user agreements, including organisation-wide agreements with key agencies which enable access to many individual users (see table). In the year under review, 14,336 visits to the QSIS database were recorded, with an average of 40 unique visits a day.

Supreme Court Library Queensland Annual Report 2013–14 17 Heritage & Education Program

Supreme Court Library Queensland is the proud • introduction to Queensland courts lecture custodian of the Sir Harry Gibbs Legal Heritage • guided tour of the Sir Harry Gibbs Legal Centre, which provides a focal point for the Heritage Centre preservation of Queensland legal history. The • informal information session with a judge. library’s heritage and education program seeks In 2013–14, 336 school and community groups to engage both the legal profession and wider participated in the library’s education program, community with the history of the courts and the with 9561 participants. The library’s conference Queensland justice system. centre and function room facilities were also made available to a number of external groups Sir Harry Gibbs Legal Heritage Centre from the courts, Department of Justice and The Sir Harry Gibbs Legal Heritage Centre Attorney-General and other related entities. (SHGLHC) is a state of the art exhibition space During the year the library hosted 71 groups open to the public on the ground floor of the in these facilities, with a total of nearly 2000 Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law, Brisbane. visitors. SHGLHC opened in August 2012 and is curated by the library. Scholarly publishing In June 2014 the library opened a new exhibition To further our objectives of preserving ‘Path to Abolition: a History of Execution in Queensland’s legal heritage and promoting Queensland’. This exhibition examines the creation and availability of local legal content, history of execution in Queensland, from the the library publishes works relating to first execution in 1830 at Moreton Bay Penal Queensland’s legal history, biographies of legal Settlement to the execution of Ernest Austin personalities, and legal textbooks. in 1913 at the . An Oration in In 2013–14, the publishing program continued the Banco Court on 18 June 2014 marked the to flourish with the publication of the 2012 and opening of this new exhibition. The Hon IDF 2013 editions of the Queensland Legal Yearbook, Callinan AC QC presented a paper entitled The Idea of Legal History and Jurisprudence as ‘, Penalties and ’ and Practical Reason. Soraya Ryan QC spoke on ‘The Impetus for Change: Queensland, the First in the Empire to First published in 2005, the Queensland Legal Abolish the Death Penalty’. Yearbook provides a valuable addition to the libraries of lawyers and historians alike. It Plans are underway for a new exhibition, features scholarly articles on Queensland’s legal ‘Innocent Diversions: Australian Legal Fashion’, history, tributes to retiring judges, obituaries, in late 2014, and in early 2015, an exhibition legal personalia and a review of significant commemorating legal practitioners who served judicial and legislative developments during in the First World War. the year. Over 900 copies of Queensland Legal In 2013–14 SHGLHC attracted over 6000 visitors, Yearbook 2012 were distributed in November/ averaging approximately 515 a month. Visitors December 2013. That edition was dedicated included members of the public, schools, to the opening of the magnificent new Queen community groups, delegates from other Elizabeth II Courts of Law. jurisdictions, and tour groups. Library staff Queensland Legal Yearbook 2013 features a conducted free tours of the centre, with 1642 selection of original material about the work of people using this service in 2013–14. Queensland’s legal profession. By the end of June 2014, 676 copies of that edition had been Schools and community groups distributed. The library continued to develop its education In early 2014 the library published The Idea of program in 2013–14. Since 1999 the library has Legal History: a Tribute in Honour of Dr Michael offered a structured educational program for White QC. This publication features a wide schools visiting the courts. Each visit is tailored ranging collection of specially commissioned to the needs of the students attending and can articles by members of the judiciary and include one or more of the following elements: notable scholars on legal history, together with • visit to a live courtroom tributes to Dr White, the inaugural Convenor • legal research seminar and student research of the Supreme Court History Program, by his workshop contemporaries, colleagues and associates.

18 Supreme Court Library Queensland Annual Report 2013–14 Jurisprudence as Practical Reason: a Celebration of the Collected Essays of John Finnis was published by the library in late 2013. This work features reviews, articles and reflections on each of the five volumes of those collected essays, and provides supplementary insights into the man himself. To date 165 copies of The Idea of Legal History and 132 copies of Jurisprudence as Practical Reason have been sold.

Lecture program During 2013–14 the library continued to organise and host a vibrant lecture program. Affiliated events hosted by the library during the year included the following listed below:

Event Date Speaker Title of address 2013 Supreme Court 19 September The Hon Justice Judicial Independence in Oration 2013 Nicholas Kearns, Times of Financial Cholera: President of the High Lessons from the Irish Court of Ireland Experience The launch of the 20 November The Hon Paul de Jersey Law of Liability 2013 AC, Chief Justice of Insurance 3rd edition Queensland by the Hon Des Derrington QC and Ron Ashton 2014 Supreme Court 23 April 2014 Professor Dame Hazel Do it Yourself Justice: Oration Genn QC the Challenge of Self Representation in the English Courts Path to Abolition: a 18 June 2014 The Hon IDF Callinan Crime, Penalties, and Capital history of execution AC QC Punishment in Queensland

Soraya Ryan QC The Impetus for Change: Queensland, the First in the Empire to Abolish the Death Penalty Selden Society AGM 20 June 2014 The Hon Paul de Jersey Sir Samuel Griffith and Sir & luncheon AC Harry Gibbs and the Order of St Michael and St George

Selden Society The Annual General Meeting and luncheon of the Queensland chapter of the Selden Society was The library continues to administer the Australian held on 20 June 2014. The address was given by branch of the Selden Society, an international the Hon P de Jersey AC on the topic ‘Sir Samuel society for fostering legal history studies. Griffith and Sir Harry Gibbs and the Order of St Membership of the branch was 116 members in Michael and St George’. 2013–14. Since late 2013 Librarian Mr David Bratchford has Donations served as Secretary-Treasurer, while the position The library’s extensive legal heritage collection of Co-Correspondent previously held jointly by continues to grow with the generous support Dr Michael White QC and the Hon BH McPherson of members of the judiciary, legal profession, CBE is now held by Library Committee chair the their families, and the broader Queensland Hon Justice H Fraser. In 2013 the Library initiated community. These materials enrich the library’s its annual series of Selden Society lectures. exhibitions and are used by researchers to

Supreme Court Library Queensland Annual Report 2013–14 19 improve our collective understanding of Queensland’s legal heritage. The Library gratefully acknowledges the generosity of its donors and benefactors who have supported this program during the year. Notable donations received by the Library in 2013–14 include: • A collection of personal and professional memorabilia dating from the 1960s to 2013, donated by the Hon IDF Callinan AC QC • A collection of legal and personal memorabilia related to the Office of Chief Justice, donated by the Hon P de Jersey AC, Chief Justice of Queensland • A framed plan of the mural ‘The Development of Justice in Queensland’ by Lawrence Daws, donated by the Hon M White AO and Dr Michael White QC • A long bottom wig and tin, ceremonial robe, belt and cape, donated by the Hon M White AO • A collection of original diaries belonging to Arthur Feez KC dating from 1878-1935, donated by Mrs Liz Wessels.

Digitisation As part of the library’s role in preserving historical documents and improving their accessibility, it digitises new donations of primary materials and publishes these online. Over 700,000 pages of material have been digitised to date. In 2013–14 the library digitised the following collections: • a selection of materials donated by the Hon IDF Callinan AC QC pertaining to his legal career • a large volume of material donated by Dr Dayle Smith on the Tokyo War Tribunal • transcripts of speeches presented by Australian legal professionals and collected by the library over the past three decades.

20 Supreme Court Library Queensland Annual Report 2013–14 Key performance indicators

Library collection Reference services

250,000 Online 12,000 Information enquiries 200,000 Print (including document 10,000 delivery and research requests) 150,000 8000 Documents supplied 6000 100,000 4000 50,000 2000

0 0 2012-13 2013-14 2012–13 2013–14

Website use Catalogue use

8,000,000 180,000 Total number Other 160,000 of searches 7,000,000 Judgments 140,000 6,000,000 120,000 5,000,000 100,000 4,000,000 80,000 3,000,000 60,000 40,000 2,000,000 20,000 1,000,000 0 2012–13 2013–14 0 2012–13 2013–14

Queensland courts & tribunals Queensland Sentencing Information Service (QSIS) decisions published access

3000 Total number of 400,000 published decisions Total number of 2500 350,000 page views 300,000 2000 250,000 1500 200,000 1000 150,000 100,000 500 50,000 0 0 2012–13 2013–14 2012–13 2013–14

Schools & community visits Sir Harry Gibbs Legal Heritage Centre visitors

12,000 8000 Other Number of 7000 visitors 10,000 TAFE & Uni 6000 8000 Primary 5000 6000 Secondary 4000 4000 3000

2000 2000 1000 0 2012–13 2013–14 0 2012–13 2013–14

* SHGLHC opened in August 2012 — 2012–13 gures include ocial opening

Supreme Court Library Queensland Annual Report 2013–14 21