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Court Services Victoria Annual Report 2015-16

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Court Services Victoria Annual Report 2015-16 ANNUAL REPORT 2015-16 Children’s Court of Victoria SUPPORTING VICTORIAN COURTS Coroners Court of Victoria Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) Court Services Victoria acknowledges the This report may also be downloaded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as from the Court Services Victoria website the Traditional Custodians of the land. Court www.courts.vic.gov.au Services Victoria also acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present. Accessibility If you would like to receive a printed This report is protected by copyright. Apart copy of this publication, please email from any use permitted under the Copyright [email protected] Act 1968 (Cth), all rights are reserved. Enquires: © Court Services Victoria Court Services Victoria 223 William Street ISSN 2205-1090 (Print) Melbourne Vic 3000 Email: [email protected] Published by Court Services Victoria Design: Celsius Design Photography: Bonnie Savage and William Hung November 2016 1 Supreme Court of Victoria County Court of Victoria Magistrates’ Court of Victoria CONTENTS 03 Responsible Body’s Declaration 04 Message from the Chair 07 Message from the Chief Executive Officer Report of Operations 09 Section 1: Governance and Organisational Structure 18 Section 2: Year in Review 35 Section 3: Workforce Data 42 Section 4: Other Disclosures Financial Statements 54 Financial Statements 62 Notes to the Financial Statements 2 Court Services Victoria Annual Report 2015—2016 Report of Operations 3 COURT SERVICES VICTORIA Court Services Victoria (CSV) was established on 1 July 2014 as an independent statutory body to provide administrative services and facilities to support Victorian courts, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and the Judicial College of Victoria. CSV is designed to operate independently of the direction of the executive branch of government and to support the independence of the judiciary. The Courts Council is CSV's governing body and comprises the Head of each jurisdiction, and up to two independent members. There are seven standing committees that inform the work of the Courts Council. RESPONSIBLE BODY’S DECLARATION In accordance with the Financial Management Act 1994 (Vic) and the Court Services Victoria Act 2014 (Vic), I am pleased to present the Court Services Victoria Annual Report for the year ending 30 June 2016. Above The Honourable Chief Justice The Honourable Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC Marilyn Warren AC, The Chair of the Courts Council Honourable Justice Gregory Garde AO RFD, The Honourable Justice Peter Kidd, Her Honour Judge Sara Hinchey, His Honour Judge Peter Lauritsen, Her Honour Judge Amanda Chambers 4 Court Services Victoria Annual Report 2015—2016 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR CONSOLIDATION TECHNOLOGY Court Services Victoria (CSV) has completed its Relevantly, the year saw the engagement of second year as an independent statutory body Justin Bree as Chief Information Officer. He has providing services to the Victorian jurisdictions led an excellent team in endeavouring to meet and the Judicial College of Victoria. the individual needs of the jurisdictions. Victoria is a centre of litigation excellence In order to improve services by the jurisdictions through the work of all jurisdictions and their to the Victorian community it is essential that commitment with CSV to the International the courts and the tribunal have modern, Framework for Court Excellence. accessible and flexible technological systems. Across the jurisdictions there are opportunities CSV has consolidated and improved its for sharing systems, particularly in the criminal services to all its jurisdiction “clients”. areas. There are then necessarily separate In the reporting year CSV has embarked on systems needed in other jurisdictions including significant projects including: the progression for civil litigation. It is not a case of one mega of the upgrade of technology across all system to cover all courts and the tribunal, both jurisdictions; the development of an asset civil and criminal. Rather, CSV is progressing strategy plan; a CBD legal precinct strategy; towards meeting the different and varying a staffing resources review; and a financial needs across the courts and the tribunal. overview and reassessment. The Chief Operating Officer, Brian Stevenson has led a In particular, extensive work has been significant development of analysis of CSV’s prepared for the modernisation of systems future asset needs and the improvement of in the Magistrates’ Court and the Children’s jurisdictions’ security. Court arising from the report of the Royal Commission into Family Violence. CSV However, there are two constant, significant anticipates that the implementation by pressures facing CSV: technology and finance. the government of the Royal Commission recommendations may provide a fertile opportunity to dramatically improve service, management and efficiency in the Magistrates’ Court through technological advancement. Separation of the jurisdictions from the IT system of the Department of Justice and Regulation is a foundational aspect of the establishment of CSV. Report of Operations 5 CSV has supported projects to achieve that In response, CSV has conducted finance separation. There is a special opportunity reviews which have identified better accounting being developed by the Supreme Court that will practices, staff rationalisation and identification see, finally, the achievement of IT separation. of costs savings. These reforms have been Part of this project involves developing an implemented. Further reviews and reforms effective local case management system from will be considered in the coming year. the problematic outcomes of the ICMS project which was the subject of criticism by the The biggest financial challenge to the courts Auditor-General. Following implementation and the tribunal arises from the productivity of the system in the Supreme Court a model and efficiency savings and dividends that have will be available for adoption by other been imposed on the jurisdictions. jurisdictions. The Supreme Court system From 2012 government savings measures have will require a modest investment, but will been applied to the courts and the tribunal potentially establish an outstanding outcome mostly without exemptions for court registry of technological independence from the staff and judicial staff. Further government Department of Justice and Regulation. savings were then imposed in 2013. FINANCE The cumulative effect of the savings amounts to a significant reduction in the funding available The Courts Council was very pleased at the end to CSV ($58 million reduction in funds available of the financial year with CSV’s modest surplus. to the courts and the tribunal since the 2011/12 CSV has benefited greatly from the support financial year). and assistance of the Chief Finance Officer, Lisa Wills. For the most part, courts have not been generously funded and the imposition of The Courts Council of CSV has been strongly saving initiatives on already tight budgets committed to achieving a balanced budget. creates unfair pressure and ultimately Nonetheless some of the jurisdictions have risks undermining the performance of rising costs from the changing volume and their inherent functions. complexity of litigation and also meeting the demands and expectations of the Victorian In order to maintain basic services some community. As a result, some jurisdictions jurisdictions have become partially dependant have faced difficulty in meeting their individual on additional funding drawn from the Court budgets and, also, in funding reforms that would Fee Pool which is made available to the courts lead to improved services and important savings by the Treasurer pursuant to section 29 of in the long term. the Financial Management Act 1994. In the longer term it is desirable that the section 29 arrangement be reviewed. 6 Court Services Victoria Annual Report 2015—2016 INDEPENDENCE I also acknowledge the smooth handover and transition arranged by the former CEO, Mr Alan How the independence conferred on CSV under Clayton PSM who left CSV on 9 August 2015 the Courts Services Victoria Act 2014 is given and Mr Mick Carroll who acted as CEO for the practical effect will be developed and refined period 9 August to 16 November 2015. Since 16 over the years. An important component of the November 2015 Kerry Osborne has been in the exercise of the independence of CSV arises under role of CEO. On behalf of the Courts Council section 41 of the Courts Services Act. I express appreciation to him and his staff for all their hard work and commitment to serving the Section 41 provides a mechanism for the high Victorian jurisdictions and the College. level determination of the budgets of each jurisdiction, the Judicial College of Victoria and I note and acknowledge, also, that his CSV. The budget is developed and submitted by Honour Judge Ian Gray retired as Coroner the Courts Council and approved or modified by and as a member of the Courts Council on 18 the Attorney-General. Self-evidently, section December 2015. He was a founding member 41 of the Courts Services Victoria Act does not and valuable contributor to the Courts Council. contemplate interference in the primary function I acknowledge Judge Gray’s contribution and of the Courts Council in determining the facilities commitment to CSV. and services necessary to support the courts and the tribunal. Certainly that has not been the I thank my fellow Courts Council members who case to date.
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