The Attorney-General admitted in Budget Estimates hearings today that there had been no action taken to improve the quality of video surveillance recordings in ACT Courts despite prompts to rectify such issues nearly a year ago.

Following up on questions asked in Estimates August last year, the Shadow Attorney-General, Peter Cain, revisited this issue querying what progress the Attorney-General had made to respond to a distressing experience involving a victim-survivor of domestic violence worsened by the poor quality of a court recording.

During the sentencing hearing, the convicted perpetrator of the violence made threatening gestures to the camera knowing that the victim was watching from another room. The poor quality of the recording meant that this footage could not be used to inform consideration of the appropriate sentence for this perpetrator.

“It is simply unbelievable that the Attorney-General has failed to take appropriate action on this issue,” Mr Cain said.

“I first raised this matter with the Attorney-General at these hearings last year on behalf of a victim-survivor, to which the Attorney-General said he would be ‘happy to have a look at the matter.’”

“Here we are, nearly one year on, and the Attorney-General admitted today that no substantive action has been taken and that the government is not in a position to prioritise this issue.”

“Ensuring that victim-survivors who interact with the criminal justice system feel safe and that perpetrators are appropriately sentenced should be the highest priority for any government.”

“I imagine that rectifying issues of video quality for court recordings would be one of the simpler opportunities available to ensure that justice is done and that victims feel safe, yet the Attorney-General has claimed it is not a priority.”

“The Attorney-General’s lethargic approach to such a simple but significant issue is telling of a government that is tired and indifferent,” Mr Cain concluded.