a poem about women in the police force in the 1960s:
are you sure this is the place for you, sweetheart?
ambition counts for nothing
i lay out my heart and soul
for half a paypacket and a patronising smile
heads turn with eyes that glare
and glint with resent so bright it burns right through my confidence
fear of change sometimes appears as resent
maybe it's better that heads turn
so they can see the way that this is going
gender does not dictate what i can do.
The survey results revealed that very few people have complete faith in the Melbourne Justice System. Especially concerning the issue of universal legal access, almost no one believes that everyone has equal access. This seems to be correct, as although anyone can apply for free legal aid services, there is always a waiting list and services can only be attained 'depending on your circumstances.' Legal aid is a benevolent and important concept, but still not everyone is in a situation where they are aware of the importance of legal representation or are able to go through the process of their own accord.
Furthermore, if a defendant does not attend a trial, the presence of a lawyer can significantly improve their chances of just rescheduling a trial instead of immediately forming a sentence. Regardless of situation, a lawyer is absolutely essential to a person's legal experience, yet not everyone arrives in court with one.
Another issue is that the language used in court is extremely heavy and technical, which puts people with intellectual disabilities, language disorders or acquired brain injuries at a disadvantage. Enquiries into the youth justice system in Victoria revealed that over half of the young people involved with the system have a form of language disorder.
Another ethical issue raised is the obligation of victims to testify in the same courtroom as the defendant, who may have committed extremely serious crimes against them. This is often detrimental to the emotional and mental states of witnesses, especially young people. It was only recently that children gained the right to testify via video, and although this is a step in the right direction it isn't just children who are seriously affected by this process.