As the COVID-19 epidemic unfolds, it's having a
substantial impact on the Australian criminal justice system,
from the Local Court all the way up to the High Court of
Australia.
NSW District Court Chief Judge Derek Price announced
on 30 March that as of April, a number of types of hearings
will be suspended, along with a previous halt to new jury
trials.
These measures are aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.
They include the suspension of all judge-alone trials, along with
sentencing hearings, appeals against Local Court decisions, and
District Court plea hearings.
As concerns rise over the
impact a COVID outbreak could have within Australian correctional
centres, the threat the disease poses and the extreme delays in
court times caused by virus restrictions, will increasingly be
factored into whether a defendant's
bail application is successful.
