Chapter 2: Court Overview

This chapter outlines the Establishment, Vision and Purpose of the Children’s Court. It discusses the duties, powers and functions of the judicial and administrative officers of the Court and the Court’s organizational structure. It continues with an outline of what are essentially the two divisions of the Court:

• the Family Division which is primarily involved with child protection proceedings and intervention order proceedings involving child parties; and
• the Criminal Division [including the Koori Court (Criminal Division)] whose role is to hear and determine criminal charges against children.

The chapter goes on to discuss the fact that the Court is generally open to the public while noting the statutory restriction on the publication of proceedings which might identify participants in cases and the circumstances in which suppression orders might be made. It then discusses the important role that lay Bail Justices play as an out-of-hours interface between state authorities and the Court. The chapter concludes with a summary of six organisations which provide services for and/or at the Children's Court.