Access to clients in custody

19/01/2022

Practice support: COVID-19

The Bar Association is aware that many Local Court matters, including bail applications, are delayed because members are having difficulty seeing their clients who are in custody. This is due to the number of Corrective Services NSW staff who are absent from work for COVID-19 related reasons, which has forced correctional centres to vary their operational routines and to shut down a range of non-essential activities.

The Bar Association has been advised that in order to protect inmates CSNSW has adopted a centralised model for managing COVID positive inmates. All positive cases in NSW correctional centres are transferred to the Metropolitan Remand Reception Centre (MRRC) and Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre (SWCC).

Consequently, members are advised of the following arrangements:

• A dedicated email address has been set up for the judiciary, legal practitioners and court staff to log access issues and make inquiries. It is a single point of contact for court services and legal practitioners to ensure an appropriate and timely response to inquiries and access issues. The email address is AVLclosed@justice.nsw.gov.au

• Legal practitioners who have an imminent matter and who cannot secure a vacant booking time in JUST Connect are advised to contact the following email addresses: For local court matters: DefendantHearingAVL@justice.nsw.gov.au and for District and Supreme Court matters:SupremeDistrictAVL@justice.nsw.gov.au