Labor’s CJEP Bungle Delays Justice and Costs Taxpayers more than $37 Million

Victoria’s Auditor-General has found that a vital computer upgrade project in the Department of Justice, which was supposed to reduce court waiting times and speed up the justice system, remains uncompleted and has cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

The upgrade was supposed to result in less time required to prepare cases, fewer court adjournments, less waiting time for court users and earlier court hearings.

However, the Criminal Justice Enhancement Program (CJEP) – originally due for completion in November 2000, then revised to March 2004 – has still not been completed.

The project was originally budgeted to cost $14.5 million but was revised to $35 million. To date it has cost the Department of Justice $39.9 million, with a further $10.4 million spent by other government bodies, $18 million spent on “maintenance, support and enhancements” and a further $4 million still to be spent by Victoria Police, a total cost blow out of $37.3 million over the revised budget.

Shadow Attorney General Robert Clark said it was no wonder Attorney-General Rob Hulls has recently been trying to blame lawyers for delays and costs in Victoria’s courts when he has known this damning report was about to tabled.

Victoria’s courts have some of the longest waiting lists and waiting times in the nation, and waiting lists have increased dramatically in recent years. The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services 2008 (Table 7A.17), released in January this year, shows that for criminal cases as at 30 June last year:

• the backlog of non-appeal Supreme Court cases was 171, compared with just 56 cases in June 2003. More than one-third (33.9 per cent) of these cases had been waiting for more than 12 months, the highest percentage in Australia.

• there were also 2,467 non-appeal County Court cases waiting to be heard, compared with 1,722 in 2003. Of these, 581 cases had been waiting for more than 12 months, almost double the 296 cases in 2003.

• Victoria’s Magistrate’s Courts have the largest backlog of cases of any jurisdiction in Australia, with 34,119 cases waiting to be heard, up from 26,633 in 2003.

“Instead of trying to blame the lawyers, Rob Hulls must accept much of the responsibility for this bungled project and for Victoria’s long and growing waiting lists,” Mr Clark said.

“He needs to make sure Victoria’s courts are given the administrative support and modern systems and facilities they need so victims, their families, witnesses, accused persons and all other litigants can have their cases heard without unreasonable delay.”

Media: Robert Clark (03) 9625 1396 (pager)