18 March 2020
ALL MATTERS BEFORE THE YOUTH COURT - 19 MARCH 2020
The Adelaide Youth Court hears matters that relate to children, young people and families including adoption and surrogacy matters.
Following the Government’s declaration of an emergency which threatens to cause death or injury, the Court will implement the following measures immediately:
General - in Court
The Youth Court encourages only required parties to attend at the Adelaide Youth Court and Youth Court proceedings.
Parties and practitioners are not to come to the Court, if they have:
· fever
· flu-like symptoms such as coughing
· sore throat and fatigue
· shortness of breath
· travelled outside Australia in the last 14 days and/or
· had close contact with someone diagnosed with or suspected of having coronavirus (COVID-19) in the last 14 days
If a party or practitioner has a condition that makes them vulnerable to infection, or if they are generally concerned and do not wish to or do not feel comfortable to come into Court, they should advise Registry at least 24 hours prior to the hearing and make alternative satisfactory arrangements.
At the Court, parties and practitioners are not to approach Court staff and will always maintain a distance from others that is greater than 1.5 metres.
No documents will be handed up in Court but, if less than 10 pages must be sent electronically to Registry prior to the hearing or, if greater than 10 pages, 3 copies are to be lodged at the Registry the day prior to the hearing.
Criminal Matters
Criminal matters may be administratively adjourned with the consent of parties. Applications to administratively adjourn matters may be made by emailing youthcourt@courts.sa.gov.au providing evidence of the consent of the parties.
If parties do not consent to the adjournment parties may apply to appear via phone. Application is to be made by emailing youthcourt@courts.sa.gov.au. The application must include contact details and the party must be contactable for an hour from the scheduled hearing time. If the party cannot be contacted it will be consider they have not appeared.
Parties may apply to be heard via phone or AVL.
Application is to be made by emailing the request youthcourt@courts.sa.gov.au. The application must include contact details and the party must be contactable for an hour from the scheduled hearing time. If the party cannot be contacted it will be consider they have not appeared.
Care and Protection Interlocutory Hearings
Care and protection proceedings are not being automatically administratively adjourned. These matters may be administratively adjourned upon application to do so.
Applications to administratively adjourn matters may be made by emailing youthcourt@courts.sa.gov.au providing evidence of the consent of the parties.
If approved, the length of the adjournment will be determined by the presiding judicial officer, having regard to the provisions of the Children and Young People (Safety) Act 2017.
Parties may apply to be heard via phone or AVL for these proceedings.
Application is to be made by emailing the request youth.court@courts.sa.gov.au. The application must include contact details and the party must be contactable for 15 minutes before and after the scheduled hearing time. If the party cannot be contacted it will be consider they have not appeared.
Trials
There is no change to trial proceedings, however it is up to the presiding judicial officer to determine how the trial should proceed.
Leave may be granted to a witness to appear via AVL or telephone upon application.
Application is to be made by emailing the request youthcourt@courts.sa.gov.au. The application must include contact details and the party must be contactable for 15 minutes before and after the scheduled hearing time. If the party cannot be contacted it will be consider they have not appeared.
These measures will be implemented from 19 March 2020 and operate until Thursday 9 April 2020 (Easter). They may be revised as new public health announcements are made.
Judge P. Eldridge
Youth Court
Youth Court Judge