This joint conference brings together members of the judiciary, academics, policymakers and other experts to consider current issues and challenges in the Australian justice system.

The focus of the 2023 conference is therapeutic jurisprudence. The 2023 NJCA-ANU Joint Conference will provide judicial officers, academics, policymakers and other experts the opportunity to discuss and examine mechanisms for introducing therapeutic practices into Australian courtrooms.
Presenters from across Australia will share their experiences and lessons learned from existing therapeutic programs as a foundation for extending, developing and implementing practices in a range of judicial settings.

Day 1 - 25 February 2023
Day 1 will explore the origins of therapeutic justice, the principles that underlie it, and provide practical lessons on its implementation. Day 1 will also examine how therapeutic practices provide an opportunity to address the effects of intergenerational trauma on First Nations peoples.

Day 2 - 26 February 2023
Day 2 will examine opportunities to expand therapeutic jurisprudence into family law and alternative dispute resolution, and how it could be used to support participants in the justice system with a disability. In the closing session, participants will share their experiences in establishing and maintaining therapeutic practices, including the importance of evaluative evidence of their success.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Professor Arie Freiberg AM, Monash University
• Dr Karen Gelb, University of Melbourne
• Michael Hill, Former Chief Magistrate of Tasmania
• Judge Matthew Myers AM, Federal Circuit Court of Australia
• Professor Tania Sourdin, Dean and Head of School, Newcastle Law School
• Magistrate Louise Taylor, Magistrates Court of the Australian Capital Territory
• The Hon Robert Tickner AO, Justice Reform Initiative