Aboriginal Community Justice Reports Project
If you wish to make a referral for an Aboriginal Community Justice Reports Project, please complete the referral form. Please check this website regularly to ensure that you are using the current version of the referral form. Please save the referral form as clientlastname_clientfirstname_ACJR referral and send it to acjrproject@vals.org.au.
If you have further questions, please email ACJR@vals.org.au
Our online launch is a great way to learn about the Project. Read about the launch here, and watch the launch here.
To be considered for an Aboriginal Community Justice Report, the following eligibility criteria must be met:
- The person must be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander;
- The person must voluntarily consent to participating
- The matter must be listed
– for plea hearing;*
– In the County Koori Court division or in the general list before a Judge who is eligible to sit in the Koori Court division
– at All Vic County Courts* Matters that are listed for sentence appeal will not automatically be excluded from eligibility for the Project, but given the pilot will be producing only 20 reports, suitability for a report for a sentence appeal will be assessed on a case-by-case basis
Suitability is assessed by Aboriginal Community Justice Report staff, situated in VALS’ Community Justice Programs section. To enable assessment of suitability for an Aboriginal Community Justice Report:
- A completed referral form must be sent to VALS’ Community Justice Programs;
- The lawyer must have an initial meeting with Aboriginal Community Justice Report Project staff;
- The person whose matter is before the court must have an initial meeting with Aboriginal Community Justice Report Project staff;
- There must be sufficient notice provided, to enable Aboriginal Community Justice Report Project staff to draft the report (at least 8 weeks). It is recommended that lawyers make a referral at the committal mention stage. Please advise the committing Magistrate in the Magistrate’s Court that you have an interest in participating in the Aboriginal Community Justice Report Project, so that the County Court can in turn be advised.
The person whose matter is before the court should be willing to participate in an interview after sentencing, for the purpose of researching the outcomes of the Report.
Please note that VALS is not charging fees for the production of an Aboriginal Community Justice Report.
Our Project partners are:
