Opening of Law Term Address

05/02/2015

Chief Justice Tom Bathurst AC last night delivered the annual Opening of Law Term Address. Entitled "Reformulating Reform: Courts and the Public Good", the chief justice's speech responds to certain aspects of the Productivity Commission’s recent report, Access to Justice Arrangements, in particular the notion that the work done by courts is a "service" and is in some way comparable to toll roads. He discusses the public good of our judicial system, the contribution of the courts to the economic prosperity and social harmony of modern Australia, and the extent to which the idea of "user-pays" justice conflicts with that public good.