Courts already have powers to deal with disrespectful behaviour: JCA

11/07/2016

The Judicial Conference of Australia expressed its concerns about the potential impacts of the New South Wales Government’s Courts Legislation Amendment (Disrespectful Behaviour) Bill 2016. Justice Steven Rares, the president of the Judicial Conference of Australia, said it is highly unlikely that the bill, if enacted, would cause any person to moderate behaviour that was disrespectful to a court.

"The bill is unnecessary, since all courts already have ample powers to deal with behaviour amounting to disrespect as a contempt of court", Justice Rares said.

View the JCA media release here.