Chief Justice Peter Quinlan calls for urgent court IT upgrades in return of major speech after 20 year absence

“Justice delayed is justice denied”. So says the old legal maxim — and the State’s top judge is now demanding the Cook Government do its job to speed up the system. Chief Justice Peter Quinlan used his Opening of the Legal Year address on Thursday to shine a light on issues in WA courts that desperately need to be improved. He announced a thorough review of civil hearings - which surged 21 per cent last year - to ensure they are done in an accessible and timely way. “The impact of delay and cost on all users of the justice system must not be underestimated and must be continuously addressed,” he said. “To that end, over the coming year, the Supreme Court will conduct a wide ranging review of all of its civil practice, from the commencement of proceedings, to more effective and timely case management. “No ideas should be off the table.” Supreme Court judges still managed to achieve a 92.5 per cent finalisation rate for civil cases, he said. Another big weight on the court is cases under the High Risk Serious Offenders Act, under which the State’s most dangerous recidivists must have continuing detention orders reviewed and supervised release contraventions dealt with. “A number of the matters under the Act have been active in the court for 20 years,” Chief Justice Quinlan said. “With each passing year, those numbers will continue to grow and consume an increasing proportion of the court’s resources.” In 2016, under the narrower version of the Act, the total number of hearings conducted was 46 but jumped to 319 in 2025. Justice Quinlan also strongly urged the Cook Government to fix outdated technology, a major cause of massive disruptions across the State’s court systems — days after it ground to a complete halt. As Attorney General Tony Buti and WA’s Supreme Court judges watched on, the Chief Justice said numbers such as 16 per cent increase in criminal matters being finalised in 2025 demonstrated a committed profession working “in a sometimes challenging environment”. Chief Justice Quinlan stressed well-known court infrastructure constraints, “in particular the urgent need for investment in information technology, without which a modern justice system simply cannot operate”. While the State-wide IT crash last week was rectified in some courtrooms quickly, including the ever-busy Perth Magistrates Court, some Supreme Court matters were delayed all day. Judicial officers have been complaining about substandard facilities for years, with Law Society of WA pointing to many courthouses, particularly in the regions, lacking the most basic amenities. This includes waiting areas where family violence complainants can sit separately from perpetrators. Thursday’s address came more than 20 years since the last time an annual review speech was given by WA’s top judicial officer. The address has now returned as an annual curtain-raiser.