The Judicial Commission of Victoria's Annual Report for 2022/2023

The Judicial Commission of Victoria's Annual Report for 2022/2023 was tabled in Parliament on 1 November 2023.

A key highlight of the Report was the publication of the Judicial Conduct Guideline on Judicial Bullying, a first in Australia. This is another important step towards ensuring the courts are a safe and respectful place for all and aligns with a core Commission purpose to prioritise wellbeing.

A copy of the Judicial Conduct Guideline on Judicial Bullying can be found here (External link)

Across the reporting year, the Commission finalised 111. Whilst the majority were dismissed, the Commission referred five matters to the head of the relevant jurisdiction and two to an investigating panel. This demonstrates the Commission is able to respond to and deal with complaints about conduct of a serious nature.

The Report also discusses trends and themes in complaint data and includes a significant number of complaint case studies. The case studies illustrate the types of matters that come before the Commission, the factors the Commission considers in assessing conduct and the range of complaint investigation outcomes.

You can read about:

• The Commission's first judicial bullying finding (page 59)
• Comments, manner and tone demonstrating a decision-making process was not fair or impartial (page 58)
• How the Commission dealt with a complainant in a sexual harassment matter (page 43)
• A judicial officer's insight into the impact of their comments and tone on a legal practitioner (page 45)
• How considering multiple instances of the same or similar behaviour affected a complaint outcome (page 47)

and lots more…