Judges of the Court met with community leaders, from a diverse range of organisations, to help demystify the work of the Court and the court system more broadly.
On Friday 6 September the County Court of Victoria held its second annual Community Engagement Day.
County Court of Victoria Chief Judge Peter Kidd began the day by welcoming 23 community and support service leaders for a day of discussion and education, and reminding them that, "our Court is open to the public". In his words, Community Engagement Day is "a terrific opportunity to learn, not from politicians, not from me, but from your own observations. And, of course, it is an opportunity for us to learn from and engage with the community".
Chief Judge Peter Kidd.
The Engagement Day program, delivered in partnership with Victoria University’s Sir Zelman Cowen Centre, allowed participating leaders to:
Throughout the day, participants observed the Court at work, conducted a moot sentencing hearing, and engaged in one-on-one discussions with a number of County Court judges.
Judge Wilmoth in court room with participants.
Chief Judge Peter Kidd commented:
"Our Community Engagement Day for 2019 was another tremendous success, bringing together community leaders and judges, for a two-way discussion on the work of the Court. The day represents an invaluable opportunity for both participants and judges to share their experiences, and learn from one another. I thank the community leaders for their enthusiastic participation and insights."
Conference room with participants engaging in a question and answer session with judges.