Educational visit
Last week Justices Beach, Niall and I visited Warrnambool as part of the Court of Appeal's circuit program.
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We spent Thursday visiting a variety of organisations to gain a better understanding of local issues in the Warrnambool region.
Our visit included: a lunch meeting with staff of the Gunditjmara Aboriginal Cooperative; a visit to the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperative; a talk with 100 year 5 and 6 students at Warrnambool Primary School; a meeting with lawyers at the Warrnambool office of Victoria Legal Aid and a dinner hosted by the Western District Law Association.
The next day, we heard a criminal appeal at Warrnambool Court.
Before the hearing, we spoke with 30 students from Brauer College and Warrnambool College, as well as several students from Deakin University's law school.
They had all been invited to watch the appeal and had the chance to speak with counsel and solicitors appearing in it.
I also observed a sitting of the Koori Court, presided over by Magistrate Jelena Popovic.
The hearing was a wonderful example of the justice system working at its best, in no small part due to the participation of a number of service providers who came together to ensure a fair and meaningful outcome for the individual and his community.
We learned a great deal through our engagements with the community and we greatly appreciated the warm welcome we received from the people of Warrnambool.
Chris Maxwell, President, Victorian Court of Appeal
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Neil Venables, Lieutenant Colonel, National Secretary for Communications, The Salvation Army Australia
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