Old Law, New Law - a podcast by the VLRC

Integrated legal assistance services can provide great support to people experiencing complex disadvantage, distress or trauma, but keeping legal information private in these circumstances can be complicated. In this episode of ‘Old Law, New Law’, Eve Gallagher, Team Leader of our Legal privilege and integrated legal assistance services inquiry, talks with VLRC Chair, Tony North and senior staff from three integrated legal assistance services in Victoria about ways of addressing these problems.

Integrated legal assistance services can provide great support to people experiencing complex disadvantage, distress or trauma, but keeping legal information private in these circumstances can be complicated. In this episode of ‘Old Law, New Law’, Eve Gallagher, Team Leader of our Legal privilege and integrated legal assistance services inquiry, talks with VLRC Chair, Tony North and senior staff from three integrated legal assistance services in Victoria about ways of addressing these problems.

How can courts and the justice system use AI safely? The VLRC team discuss whether AI can help courts become more efficient and accessible, without losing the human element, and bearing in mind the dangers of deepfakes, hallucinations and bias.

Some 5,000 – 6,000 people serve on juries in Victoria every year. In this episode we talk to Victorian Juries Commissioner Paul Dore about his role in bringing jurors into the courtroom and what happen when they get there. This wide-ranging conversation covers the role of law reform, the impact of traumatic trials on jurors, the problem of jurors doing their own research on Google, and what can be done to improve the juror experience.

You may be surprised to learn that people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision are unable to serve on juries in Victoria. In May 2023 the VLRC published recommendations for reform that would enable more people to serve using reasonable adjustments. Nick talks to Emma Cashen and Phoebe Lindner about how Victorian juries can be made more inclusive and representative.

Transcript

Link to the Inclusive Juries report