Striving for better justice

The NJC opened in 2007 as a three-year pilot.  Fifteen years later, we are confident that what works for us can work in other justice centres and for other communities. 

One venue, many courts, one community

Our court is multi-jurisdictional; that is, one courtroom is the venue for a Magistrate's Court, Children's Court, and Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal.

Our court only hear matters relating to residents of our local government area, including First Nations people and Torres Strait Islanders who have strong connections to the area, and people with no fixed address who are alleged to have offended here. This geographical approach is often called 'post-code justice'. 

This localised focus means our court acutely understands the criminogenic conditions that affect our community.

Embedded specialist service model

Our Embedded Specialist Services Model provides our clients with the widest range of treatment and support services in any Australian court.

This model comprises NJC case workers/clinicians and external services who base staff at the Centre. Read about the benefits of our  Embedded Specialist Services Model. 

Proactive crime prevention

The NJC plays a proactive crime prevention role.  

Our community engagement teams work closely with community leaders and groups, local services and government agencies to share resources and expertise to address the broader issues that adversely affect community safety. 

The community's centre

Our building is a community resource; that is community groups, residents and local not-for-profits use our facilities. We even run a social enterprise cafe. 

Being a resource and safe space for the community shows how justice centres can be as much a part of the of the fabric of community as, say local libraries, and offering a welcome shared place is a powerful symbol of accessible, transparent justice.

Security with a smile 

As place that is many things to many people, we do not have 'airport' security. Rather, security guards greet people with a smile, help clients and visitors to navigate the building, and are otherwise in the background unless required to step forward.

There is always one member of the security team on patrol, including walking around the outside of the building, and always one guard stationed on the court floor. 

This security model supports a mix-use building.

Build it, test it, launch it

As the hub of justice innovation, we push ourselves to develop smarter and more efficient services. To date, we've launched a number of Australian firsts, including the first online intervention application and addiction recovery app in the court environment.

For more, visit our digital solutions.