Regional and remote circuit court sittings across Western Australia will resume from 3 August, almost a month earlier than originally scheduled, following the resolution of security and custodial arrangements that prompted the unprecedented suspension of court services earlier this year.
The Western Australian Government announced on Monday that additional Police Auxiliary Officers have completed their training and an updated Memorandum of Understanding between the WA Police Force and the Department of Justice has now been finalised, providing the certainty required for circuit courts to safely resume.
The Heads of Jurisdiction had suspended criminal circuit sittings in affected regional and remote locations from 1 June after determining that reliable court security and custodial services could not be guaranteed. At the time, courts were expected to remain suspended until 28 August.
The decision affected more than 20 regional and remote court locations and raised widespread concern across the legal profession about access to justice, delays to criminal matters and the impact on victims, witnesses, accused persons and regional communities.
In May, the Law Society of Western Australia reported that the Department of Justice and the Heads of Jurisdiction were working urgently to minimise disruption, including manually reviewing court listings and expanding the use of audio-visual technology where appropriate.
Attorney General Dr Tony Buti said while the temporary suspension had been necessary to maintain public safety, he acknowledged the disruption it caused.
“I acknowledge while the decision to temporarily suspend circuit courts was necessary to keep the public safe, it did have an impact on regional communities and court users,” he said.
Dr Buti said the new agreement between WA Police and the Department of Justice, together with the availability of additional Police Auxiliary Officers, had enabled the Heads of Jurisdiction to bring forward the return of circuit sittings by around one month.
Police Minister Reece Whitby said the updated arrangements would provide the certainty needed to support the safe operation of regional courts.
The earlier reopening follows weeks of work by the courts, WA Police and the Department of Justice to develop interim arrangements after the suspension exposed significant pressures on regional court security and custodial resources.
Law Society President Judy McLean said that while the return to scheduled judicial operations marks a critical step forward, the necessary suspension of these vital services has come at a high cost to regional and remote communities.
“We trust that the underlying safety issues for judicial officers and court staff have now been adequately addressed,” she said.
“Physical safety is paramount, but effective justice delivery requires that the heavily impacted communities are now actively supported and well managed.”
The resumption of circuit sittings is expected to reduce delays for criminal matters and restore more regular access to justice for regional and remote communities across Western Australia. At this point, it is unclear whether this is a long-term fix or short-term solution.
