The Law Reform Commission of Western Australia has been tasked with a wide-ranging review into how accessible Western Australia’s courts and tribunals are, with a particular focus on people living with disability.
Announced earlier today by Attorney General Tony Buti, the review will examine how effectively court users – including witnesses, jurors, accused persons, victims and civil litigants – are able to participate in proceedings, and whether legislative reform is required to improve access.
The Commission has been asked to consider accessibility across a broad definition of disability, encompassing physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric and neurological impairments, as well as learning disabilities.
The review forms part of a broader government reform agenda aimed at improving access to justice in Western Australia. While courts and tribunals have made advances in accessibility, including physical infrastructure such as ramps and hearing loops, the government has acknowledged that barriers to full participation remain. The government has also flagged that the review complements ongoing efforts by the Department of Justice to remove legislative barriers to access, including those that currently prevent people who are deaf from serving as jurors.
“The courts are fundamental to ensuring people’s human rights in a democracy and we want to make sure no one is being left behind”, said Dr Buti, adding that the review will have regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to which Australia is a party.
The announcement follows a review carried out in 2025 by the Hon Janine Pritchard examining efficiency, fees and delays across the court system. Brief expects the Pritchard review to conclude with a report later this year.
The Law Society of Western Australia will be engaging with the Law Reform Commission’s consultation process as the review gets underway.
