Non-Adversarial Justice: Second Edition

This book outlines key aspects of the use of non-adversarial practices in the Australian justice system with reference to similar developments in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom

It examines in detail non-adversarial theories and practices such as therapeutic jurisprudence, restorative justice, preventive law, creative problem solving, holistic law, appropriate or alternative dispute resolution, collaborative law, problem-oriented courts, diversion programs, indigenous courts, coroners courts and managerial and administrative procedures.

It identifies the common themes, values and principles that bring these disparate theories and practices together and explicates them for practitioners, courts and students. It examines the implications of these changes for legal practice, the courts and legal education.

This second edition discusses recent developments in non-adversarial justice that have seen the expansion of therapeutic jurisprudence into new areas of the law and changes in judicial practices, the expanding use of restorative justice and the waxing and waning of problem-oriented courts across Australia. It provides up-to-date information about the increasing number of evaluations of non-adversarial programs and the changing nature of legal and professional education in the light of these new theories and practices.

Michael S King is a magistrate of the Magistrates Court of Western Australia and an honorary fellow, Faculty of Law, University of Western Australia.

Dr King has had broad experience in applying therapeutic jurisprudence and other non-adversarial justice modalities while presiding in a drug court, a family violence court and in mainstream court lists.

Dr King has published extensively in journals in Australia, the USA and Europe on therapeutic jurisprudence, legal practice, judging, problem-solving courts, offender rehabilitation, restorative justice, meditation and natural law thought. He has produced a bench book on solution-focused judging for the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration.

In 2011 he was the recipient of LEADR’s Michael Klug Award for his contribution to the peaceful resolution of conflict.

Arie Freiberg was Dean of the Faculty of Law at Monash University between 2004 and 2012 following ten years as the Foundation Chair of Criminology and one year as Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne.

With degrees in both Law and Criminology, Emeritus Professor Arie Freiberg  has focussed his academic attention over the years on topics such as sentencing, confiscation of the proceeds of crime, corporate crime, juries, juvenile justice, sanctions, victimology and regulation among other areas of interest.

He is Australia’s acknowledged expert in the field of sentencing issues and has undertaken extensive research on sentencing theory, policy and practice.

Becky Batagol is a researcher and award-winning teacher with a focus on family law, non-adversarial justice, dispute resolution, gender, family violence and constitutional law.

Dr Becky Batagol is also the co author of Bargaining in the Shadow of the Law - The Case of Family Mediation published in 2012 by Themis Press.

Becky is a contributor to the ADR Research network blog and tweets regularly @BeckyBatagol

Ross Hyams, BA, LLM is a practising solicitor and Senior Lecturer in Law at Monash University. He worked in private practice as a solicitor in a commercial legal firm from 1987 until 1990.

He has taught in the Faculty of Law clinical program since 1990 and is currently Convenor of Legal Practice Programs. He has coordinated both the Faculty’s community legal services and teaches family law, Foundations of Law and Non-Adversarial Justice. In 2004 he was awarded the Law Institute of Victoria President's Inaugural Community Lawyers' Award in recognition of outstanding contributions made within the legal profession and beyond.

He has published in diverse areas, including criminal law, family law, legal education and clinical legal practice. He is particularly interested in research areas which explore the intersections between Non-Adversarial Justice, legal education and clinical practice.