Child Witness and Legal Reforms in Australia (From International Perspectives on Child Abuse and Children's Testimony: Psychological Research and Law, P 132-144, 1996, Bette L. Bottoms, Gail S. Goodman, eds., - See NCJ-163667)

• NCJ Number: 163669
• Author(s): S Shrimpton; K Oates; S Hayes
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 13 pages
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Type: Legislation/Policy Analysis
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Increasing understanding of child abuse in Australia has resulted in law reforms in several areas related to the use of juvenile witnesses; these include competency, programs to prepare child witnesses for court, the use of closed-circuit television, and pretrial diversion.

Abstract

Some of the Australian research literature on child witnesses has been influential in obtaining legislative reforms. This includes research on delays in bringing cases involving children to court, the language used in the court, and children's perceptions of the court process. Other factors influencing changes have been the mandatory- notification legislation and the resulting increase in reporting; the handling of child sexual abuse cases in the criminal court rather than the juvenile courts, which handle cases of physical abuse and neglect; and increased awareness among some legal professionals, medical and welfare groups, and the community regarding children's rights. 31 references