Koori Court Elders and Respected Persons

Elders and Respected Persons (ERPs) work in the Koori Court, a division of the Magistrates’ Court that hears cases involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have pleaded guilty to a criminal offence. Through a cultural conversation, ERPs help participants acknowledge the underlying issues contributing to their offending and its impact on their community. They also provide cultural advice to Koori Court magistrates.

About the role

As an Elder or Respected Person (ERP), your role is to uphold the strong cultural and kinship values of your community while helping Koori Court participants acknowledge and address the underlying issues leading to their offending. You will sit beside the presiding magistrate and facilitate a cultural discussion, including how a participant’s offending has impacted on their community. You will also provide cultural advice to the magistrate.

In this role, you will:

• facilitate a cultural conversation with participants to help them acknowledge and address the underlying causes of their offending
• provide assistance and advice on cultural and community matters to Koori Court magistrates
• be invited to participate in professional training and development
• build on the existing partnerships between Koori communities and the courts.

ERPs complete a training program before taking up their role and are supported by Koori Court officers based at every Koori Court location.

Koori Courts are located at:

• Bairnsdale Magistrates’ Court
• Bendigo Magistrates' Court (from March 2023)
• Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court
• Dandenong Magistrates' Court
• Geelong Magistrates’ Court
• Hamilton Magistrates’ Court
• Heidelberg Magistrate' Court
• Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court
• Melbourne Magistrates’ Court
• Mildura Magistrates’ Court
• Portland Magistrates’ Court
• Shepparton Magistrates’ Court
• Swan Hill Magistrates’ Court
• Wangaratta Magistrates' Court
• Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court
• Wodonga Magistrates' Court.

Application process

Refer to the Koori Court Elders and Respected Persons position description.

To apply, you will need to complete an application pack that includes:

• an application form
• instructions for obtaining endorsement from your local Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee (RAJAC)
• confirmation of Aboriginality requirements. As this is an Aboriginal Designated Position, classified under special measures of section 12 of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010, only Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people are eligible to apply
• CSV Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check Form.

An application pack and additional information can be downloaded online. For more information, please contact eldersrecruitment@courts.vic.gov.au.