Previous Events
Jury Research and Practice Conferences
The Fifth Annual Jury Research and Practice Conference brought together legal practitioners (judges, jury commissioners, prosecutors, lawyers), policy-makers and academics (law, psychology, criminology, architecture, journalism, linguistics, forensic medicine, acoustic engineering, etc.).
These conferences are unique in providing a valuable forum to encourage and foster the development of practically-based jury research and to promote the exchange of information and experience among those interested in the justice system. We review research findings about juries and consider current controversial issues in jury trials and management. Practices to enhance the use of juries were identified.
Distinguished speakers and commentators led discussions about CSI effects, the Story Model of jury decision making, peremptory challenges, jury uses of DNA evidence, the culture of juries, and other topics. A NSW academic who served on a lengthy homicide trial shared insights from the perspective of a juror.
Executive Research Tour 2008
The Court of the Future Network in Australia and the Institut des hautes études sur la justice in France held a guided tour of international and European courts for the week of 31 March to 4 April 2008.
A second research tour was of selected courts in the south of France on the 7th and 8th of April 2008.
Justice Environments Conference
The Court of the Future Network organised a conference on Justice Environments in April 2006, in Melbourne, jointly with Melbourne Law School. The network includes judges, court administrators and planners, architects and engineers, psychologists, and academics from around Australia and New Zealand. David Tait is the co-ordinator of the network, but most of the work for the conference was done by a conference organiser and a largely Melbourne-based committee. The conference provided a chance to explore latest research and practice in court architecture, technology and security through lectures, workshops, tours and demonstrations. We have had extremely positive feedback from delegates, and a demand to run more such events more frequently.
A rough breakdown of the participants shows that some 70 came from court communities, 70 from architectural, engineering or technology firms (including two of Europe's leading court architects) and about 15 academics. The International Criminal Court in the Hague sent their head of IT. The Dean of the Melbourne Law School welcomed delegates, while the Chief Justice of the Federal Court and the Chief Justice of Victoria both gave keynote addresses.
Events in 2008
Australian Institute of Judicial Administration (AIJA) Law and Technology Conference, Sydney
International Society for Justice Research (ISJR) Conference, Adelaide
Australian & New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law (ANZAPPL) Congress, Sydney
Australian & New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC) Conference, Canberra
Australasian Jury Conference, Brisbane