Annual Report 2016-17

Judicial Commission of NSW – Annual Report 2016–17 6 Results in brief and looking to the year ahead Our programs this year promoted the highest standards of judicial behaviour, performance and decision making. Here are our results in brief and key challenges for 2016–17 and our targets for 2017–18. A key challenge was : • reinvigorating our work in Aboriginal cultural awareness (the Ngara Yura Program) and re-evaluating the program’s objectives. Target 2017–18: we plan to review the range of published materials we provide to ensure we are supporting judicial officers with relevant information in an easily accessible format. See pp 19–28 for more information. Continuing judicial education A key challenge was: • keeping up-to-date with a large volume of case law and new legislation. Target 2017–18: we plan to publish a study on appeals to discuss developments in the law concerning the appeal process and the range, number and outcomes of appeals dealt with by the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal from 2010 until 2016. See pp 29–40 for more information. Providing legal information Our financial result this year was: • a $1.24 million surplus, up from last year’s deficit of $1.347 million • income of $7.578 million was derived from: – $6.766 million government contributions – $812,000 from provision of information management services to other jurisdictions and sale of publications. The increase in revenue was due to capital allocation for the new office fit out and the reversion of recurrent allocation following NSW Treasury cash management reforms in 2015–16. The Commission received an unmodified audit report for our financial statements from the Auditor-General of NSW. See pp 83–85 for a summary of our finances and pp 86–106 for our full financial report. Our finances Key results were: • judicial skills, knowledge and attitudes were enhanced with 44 education events offered (last year: 43) • 91% judicial satisfaction with our education program (last year: 93%). Key results were: • judicial officers were informed about changes to the law, community values, court practice and procedure with 31 publications (last year: 34) • judicial officers had access to current law to assist in their day-to-day decision making resulting in 1.614 million total page hits to the Judicial Information Research System (JIRS) • judicial officers were promptly notified of changes in sentencing principles and practice.