Programs in this unit should assist judicial officers to fairly and effectively conduct proceedings in which diverse individuals are involved.
Programs in this unit might cover substantive and procedural law as it relates to diverse individuals (eg affording procedural fairness to culturally and linguistically diverse individuals or people with a disability)
Programs in this unit might cover culturally informed communication in the courtroom; assessing the credibility of CALD individuals; when and how best to use interpreters
Programs in this unit might cover the experiences of diverse individuals, either generally or with the legal system specifically; differences in communication styles of people from different cultures; stereotypes of different groups of people
Programs in this unit might assess judicial officers’ cultural competency and judicial officers’ own biases in relation to diverse individuals
The courts remain independent of the other branches of government and judicial officers are not subject to improper pressure or influence when making decisions. 10
These programs could encompass –
The focus of these programs is the judicial role of understanding the relationship between the judiciary and society and of changes in society.