Whither Australia's Children's Courts? Findings of the National Assessment of Australia's Children's Courts

The Children's Court is a critical social institution that decides important legal and social issues relating to children and families. This article reports the findings of a large national study which canvassed the views of judicial officers and other key stakeholders in each of Australia's eight States and Territories concerning the court's contemporary status and challenges and future reform directions with a view to informing current policy debates and deliberations. It draws together the major themes that emerged from the analysis of data derived from eight parallel sub-studies conducted concurrently which together comprised the national study. The findings point to a range of changes and underscore the importance of adequately resourcing the courts and the youth justice and child protection systems.