Judicial education

Our judicial education program promotes high standards of judicial performance and keeps judicial officers up to date with legal developments and community values.

Selected upcoming education events

October 2026

District Court of NSW Annual Conference

This two-day program is tailored specifically to the educational needs of District Court judges. The aim is to enhance judicial performance and assist in the further development of judicial skills and knowledge.

November 2026

Cross-jurisdictional Seminar: Bumurubunga Q&A Series: Women’s & Girls’ Emergency Centre and Miranda Project

This series, an initiative of the Ngara Yura Committee, facilitates interviews with key personnel from non-government and government organisations and departments regarding service provision and diversionary programs.

Events Glasses and notepaper for conference

November 2026

Local Court of NSW Metropolitan Seminar Series II

This series of seminars for metropolitan-based magistrates facilitates the development of judicial knowledge and skills.

Judicial education

Continuing judicial education

The NSW public expects judicial officers to be impartial, independent and perform to the highest professional standard. Judicial officers come to their role as highly-skilled professionals so our program is designed to assist in their transition to the role as an impartial adjudicator. From there, we aim to continuously renew judicial skills and values and provide information about changes to the law, court procedure and community values.

Our programs

Ngara Yura Program

The Commission’s Ngara Yura Program was initially established in 1992 in response to the final recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody that judicial officers should receive instruction and education on matters relating to Aboriginal customs, culture, traditions and society.

Cultural diversity online training program

The Commission has developed an online training module on cultural diversity for judicial officers, in partnership with other Australian judicial education providers.

Current projects

Lawcodes

Our Lawcodes database provides unique codes based on legislation for all NSW offences and selected Commonwealth offences dealt with in NSW. Use of these codes enables NSW justice sector agencies to exchange information and is relied upon by staff across multiple NSW Government agencies. Given that the platform was implemented in the 1990s, the NSW Government has allocated $3 million over two years (2026–2028) to upgrade this critical legacy system.

The Commission has commenced work on this important project.

The Judicial Commission will conduct education sessions for judicial officers and update relevant publications regarding current and upcoming reforms during 2026.

Learn more

Current projects

Coercive control reforms

The Commission continues to monitor the reforms introduced on 1 July 2024. The offence of abusive behaviour towards current and former intimate partners (coercive control) came into force following the final commencement of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Coercive Control) Act 2022. The Act followed recommendations of a NSW Parliamentary Joint Select Committee, established in October 2020, that coercive control be criminalised on the basis that current laws do not provide adequate protection for victims.

The Commission is providing educational resources for judicial officers regarding these reforms.