Solution Focussed Judging Program
The National Judicial College of Australia is planning to present a Program on Solution focussed Judging on 24 and 25 February 2011. It is intended to attract participation from all courts, ‘mainstream’ courts as well as ‘problem solving’ courts.
The program is being designed to allow judicial officers to develop or improve their practical skills in the application of therapeutic justice techniques. The College hopes that judicial officers who have extensive experience in problem solving courts will participate with a view to passing on their knowledge and to exchanging information with other jurisdictions. The program will also be an ideal opportunity for those without experience to acquire new knowledge and skills.
A Committee including judges and magistrates has developed a first draft of an outline of a program as follows. It is not possible to address all the topics in this field, so the Committee is looking at a core group of matters likely to be of interest to the widest group of judicial officers. Comments on the draft outline can be sent by e-mail: ea@njca.anu.edu.au
Draft Program Outline
Day 1 – Promoting Behavioural Change
1. A brief overview of problem-solving courts in Australia.
2. The theory of therapeutic jurisprudence. New directions.
3. The psychology of behavioural change.
4. Practical tips on communicating to promote behavioural change.
Persuasion, conveying expectations, motivational interviewing, deliberate
calm, courtroom dynamic. The different skills required for special groups,
eg indigenous.
5. Practising communication skills (role play, videotape).
Day 2 – Judicial officer, Team and the Community - Maximising Opportunities
and Meeting the Challenges of Judging in a Solution Focussed Environment
6a The judicial officer’s leadership role within the problem-solving
team and community. [concurrent session]
Effective styles of leadership, dealing with team conflict, identifying the
boundaries of the judicial role, dealing with burnout. (Theory plus workshop
of hypothetical problems.)
6b Applying therapeutic techniques within mainstream courts [concurrent session]
7 Challenges
Ethical issues, boundaries (eg judicial officers involving themselves in decisions
on medical issues), Burn out, facilitated discussion of problem scenarios
8 Sharing perspectives – judicial officers who are experienced/inexperienced
in problem-solving courts, mainstream judicial officers in various jurisdictions.
(Possible group or panel discussion of questions formulated during the program)
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