AUSTRALIA'S first County Court for indigenous people has promised to be tough on offenders.
The Koori County Court was officially launched at the Latrobe Valley Court Complex yesterday.
The court's jurisdiction will be the same as a regular County Court, however sexual and family violence offences will be exempt.
Offenders must plead guilty to be eligible for either the new Koori County Court or the Koori Magistrates Court which already exists.
Plain language is used and the defendant sits at an oval table with the judge, prosecutor, elders and other respected people.
However, Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls said the new court system would not be lenient.
``Offenders who have been before the Koori Magistrates Court say it is really an extremely daunting experience to be confronted by your elders,'' he said.
``The participation of Koori elders means that the whole community takes ownership of the justice system.''
Mr Hulls said offenders who have faced their elders in the Koori Court are 50 per cent less likely to re-offend than those who have gone through the mainstream system.
``This has meant... far more people are adhering to orders that are imposed upon them and it means far more respect for the justice system and that is a good thing,'' Mr Hulls said.
``You ask people who have been before the Koori Court and they will tell you it is a pretty hard thing to do, a very confronting thing to do and as a community it is important that we use peer pressure to reduce offending in all jurisdictions.''
The Koori County Court will run as a four year pilot program and begin hearing cases next month.
Mr Hulls said the court would also curb the number of indigenous people behind bars.
``It is important that we make a justice system that is culturally sensitive to a group in our community who are being incarcerated or jailed at 12 times the rate of their non-indigenous counterparts,'' Mr Hulls said.
``We can't as a democratic society simply stand back and say that this is the way it should be, we have to have a far more culturally sensitive system.''
But Mr Hulls insisted the Koori Court was not a separate justice system.
The sentencing options remain the same as mainstream courts and the judge retains authority.
``The philosophy of the Koori County Court is that all possible available support should be present for the defendant and the Gippsland region is well placed to do this,'' Mr Hulls said.
``This region has a host of culturally appropriate services, such as a drug and alcohol worker at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Koori Court, a Koori Offender Support and Mentoring Program and the Wulgunggo Ngalu Learning Place for Koori offenders on community-based orders.''
Mr Hulls expected the pilot program to build on the success of Victoria's seven Koori Magistrates Courts and two Children's Courts.
The government has allocated $590,000 for the development of the Koori Court pilot.
Once the pilot is completed a decision will be made on whether it should be expanded.
``This is a significant day for the Brumby Government but what has been most important in the development of this pilot is the level of support shown by Koori communities in engaging with a justice system which has previously and continuously failed them,'' Mr Hulls said.
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