In Queensland, Court Network volunteers are a vital part of the Specialist Domestic Family Violence Courts (SDFVC), where they are responsible for checking in all court users and private lawyers at the court reception desk. This process enables volunteers to determine who needs legal support, family violence services or access to safe rooms and security services. Court Network provides this service in Cairns, Brisbane, Beenleigh, Ipswich and Southport Magistrates’ courts.
In a recent Court Network survey completed by SDFVC stakeholders, 100% of Court Coordinators and Court Services agreed, “the Specialist Domestic Family Violence Court would not function as effectively without the reception desk”.
Here’s what a typical day for our volunteers looks like.
It’s just past 8am when Nicky arrives at the Brisbane Magistrates’ Court and the courthouse is still closed to the public. Nicky enters the building, says good morning to Security staff and heads upstairs to the Domestic and Family Violence Reception desk.
Nicky powers up the court laptop and opens the Live List, a digital dashboard that maps out the day’s court matters. She scans the list, noting which cases are via video links, if any court users have already been escorted to the safe room, and which courtrooms will be in use. With practiced efficiency, she lays out the Duty Lawyer forms, sets up the court services sign-in sheet, and reviews any notes left from the previous day. Some days Nicky has a second Court Network volunteer with her, but today she’s running the desk alone.
As the court services and Duty Lawyers begin to arrive, they greet Nicky and sign in. By 8.30am, the courthouse doors open and the court users arrive.
Nicky greets each person with calm professionalism, asking their name and locating their matter on the Live List. Her check-in process is thorough:
- She offers and explains the duty lawyer service, updating the Live List with each response and directing people to registry if additional paperwork is needed
- She assesses the need for safe room access for Aggrieved court users and escorts them there.
- She offers DFV support services to all court users and makes referrals through the Live List
- She checks in private lawyers as they arrive, marking parties as ready for court accordingly.
Many people return to the desk to ask questions throughout the morning, which Nicky answers.
After ensuring all court users are assigned a Duty Lawyer, Nicky does a sweep of the waiting room to check on the court users and then packs up. Her shift usually wraps up around noon, but can go into the afternoon on particularly complex days.
Nicky’s presence at the reception desk is a cornerstone of the court’s daily operations, and this is the case across the five different SDFVCs where Court Network provides the volunteer reception service. Through the Court Network survey, all Court Coordinators and court services agreed that volunteers significantly contribute to the coordination of court users, and that they collaborate with other court services effectively and well.
As a volunteer management organisation with 45 years of experience in court settings, Court Network is ideally placed to deliver the QLD SDFVC reception desk service through their highly trained and skilled volunteers.
If you are interested in learning more about the services or how to become a Court Network volunteer, please visit our Volunteer page.