Australias Childrens Courts Today and Tomorrow Childrens WellBeing Indicators and Research

The Children’s Court is one of society’s most important social institutions. At the same time, it is steeped in controversy. This is in large measure due to the persistence and complexity of the problems with which it deals, namely, juvenile crime and child abuse and neglect. Despite the importance of the Children’s Court as a means of holding young people accountable for their anti-social behaviour and parents for the care of their children, it has not been the subject of close study. Certainly it has not been previously studied nationally. This book, an edited collection, is based on the findings of study that spanned the six States and two Territories of Australia. The study sought to examine the current challenges faced by the Children’s Court and to identify desirable and feasible directions for reform in each State and Territory. A further unique feature of this study is that it canvassed the views of judges and magistrates who preside over this court. Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction: Australia’s Children’s Courts – The Study and Its Context....Pages 1-6 Front Matter....Pages 7-7 The Childrens Court in the Australian Capital Territory....Pages 9-26 The Children’s Court in New South Wales....Pages 27-44 Youth Justice, Child Protection and the Role of the Youth Courts in the Northern Territory....Pages 45-64 The Children’s Court in Queensland: Where to from Here?....Pages 65-83 The Children’s Court of South Australia....Pages 85-101 The Children’s Court in Tasmania....Pages 103-121 The Children’s Court of Victoria....Pages 123-142 Youth Justice and Child Protection: The Children’s Court in Western Australia....Pages 143-162 Front Matter....Pages 163-163 A Portrait of Australia’s Children’s Courts: Findings of a National Assessment....Pages 165-185 Care and Protection: Australia and the International Context....Pages 187-196 Juvenile Justice: Australian Court Responses Situated in the International Context....Pages 197-207 Back Matter....Pages 209-216