NCJ Number
181101
Journal
Judicial Officers' Bulletin Volume: 11 Issue: 6 Dated: July 1999 Pages: 41-43
Date Published
1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article outlines some recent improvements to the Judicial Information Research System of New South Wales.
Abstract
The Judicial Information Research System (JIRS), a collection of statistical, case law and legislative databases, now contains two new judgment databases: New South Wales Court of Appeal decisions and first instance judgments of the New South Wales Supreme Court. The JIRS has also expanded into areas such as Industrial Relations Commission and Land and Environmental Court judgments. The new JIRS is a Windows-based system that takes advantage of Internet technologies. Experienced trainers and a Help Desk provide support for any judicial officer who may require assistance. By any measure, JIRS is an outstanding success. Use of the system continues to increase and in some areas there has been a perceptible shift in practice. In particular, the use of sentencing statistics to identify sentencing patterns for offenses has become routine, especially in the Court of Criminal Appeal, where the court has used them in developing guideline judgments. Figures, notes