Trauma informed courts – a resource for judiciary

Therapeutic jurisprudence practice in courts draws from a range of different fields of social science to improve how we deliver justice. One such field is that of trauma informed practice. A fabulous resource prepared by the Judicial Commission of New South Wales (Australia) translates the principles of trauma informed practice for judicial officers.... There has … Continue reading Trauma informed courts – a resource for judiciary

Court Craft during the Coronavirus pandemic – a resource for judiciary (TJ Court Craft Series #16)

The Judicial College of Victoria has published an excellent resource for the judiciary who are navigating new ways of working in the Coronavirus pandemic. As Judge Lisa Hannan, Chief Magistrate of the Magistrates' Court of Victoria writes in the forward to the resource: "During this challenging time there is more onus on us as judicial … Continue reading Court Craft during the Coronavirus pandemic – a resource for judiciary (TJ Court Craft Series #16)

Sharing Therapeutic Jurisprudence Practices & Techniques

Therapeutic Jurisprudence founder, Professor David Wexler, calls on us to collect, disseminate, digest and employ creative TJ practices and techniques... When we speak of TJ “practices and techniques”, we refer to the “roles” of legal actors—typically judges, lawyers, and others working within the legal realm.  In other terminology, the practices and techniques can be seen … Continue reading Sharing Therapeutic Jurisprudence Practices & Techniques

AUSTRALIA’S FIRST RESEARCH MEASURING JUDICIAL STRESS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR JUDICIAL OFFICERS AND THE COURTS?

The legal philosophy of Therapeutic Jurisprudence (TJ) invites us to examine how laws, legal processes and the roles of legal actors may be undertaken in a way to maximise wellbeing. We often reflect on the wellbeing of people coming before our courts, but what about the wellbeing of the presiding judicial officers? In this blog … Continue reading AUSTRALIA’S FIRST RESEARCH MEASURING JUDICIAL STRESS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR JUDICIAL OFFICERS AND THE COURTS?

The Power of Compassion in the Court: Healing on both sides of the bench (TJ Court Craft Series #15)

Judge Jamey Hueston (retired), Co-Convenor of the Judicial Outreach Group of the International Society for Therapeutic Jurisprudence writes... It is an occupational reality that judges are frequently exposed to disturbing cases involving human misery and anguishing circumstances that can wear on their psyche. Traditional Legal culture expects judges to remain stoically neutral and unemotional while rendering fair decisions. However, it is unreasonable to expect judges to be indifferent to distressing matters or be unaffected by the … Continue reading The Power of Compassion in the Court: Healing on both sides of the bench (TJ Court Craft Series #15)