WA Regional Court Closures Spark Domestic Violence Victim Concerns

Concerns are mounting for victims and cases of domestic and family violence ahead of the closure of dozens of regional and remote courthouses in Western Australia, with lawyers and Indigenous community saying it is likely to make matters worse.

The WA Department of Justice announced last week that regional court sittings and registries that rely on police security will be temporarily suspended for three months from June due to a lack of security.

Aboriginal Family Legal Services (AFLS) chief executive Corina Martin AOM said the closure of the circuit courts would exacerbate barriers for Indigenous people to access justice.

"It's a disgrace," she said.

Ms Martin fears the closures would make it harder for victim-survivors of family and domestic violence to access justice in the region due to remoteness, lack of transport and language barriers.

"Victims in remote communities, they will no longer be able to access court services to obtain urgent protection orders," she said.

"The requirement to travel to towns sometimes creates impossible barriers for vulnerable individuals."

While video-link may be an option in some regions, Ms Martin worries the lack of face-to-face contact with lawyers could impact the willingness of victim-survivors to seek justice.

"Particularly for violent restraining orders and child protection matters, it will certainly have an impact on it," she said.

"This isn't nearly an administrative inconvenience; it's a fundamental failure to uphold the rights of Aboriginal families to equal access to justice."

Concerns for victim survivors

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals the number of domestic violence offenders in WA has surged in recent years.

The state recorded 11,908 family domestic violence offenders in 2024-2025, an increase of 20 per cent from the previous year.

Curtin University Professor of Social Work Donna Chung said delays to court proceedings could impact victim-survivor safety.

"One of the things that can happen during that time is it just feels like it's easier to pull back from any sort of court legal response and withdraw involvement."

Professor Chung said while violent restraining order applications could be made remotely, the closures could impact when a final order was breached.

"If those breaches are not responded to quickly and effectively, the likelihood of further harm is high," she said.

Longer waitlists

In the South West region, both Harvey and Margaret River courthouses will be closed and cases redirected to regional cities of Bunbury and Busselton.

Renee Turner is a principal solicitor at the South West Community Legal Centre and said while the full impacts of the closures were unclear, cases that needed to be relisted in alternative courts could face lengthy delays.

'It's not ideal'

On Tuesday, WA Department of Justice director general Kylie Maj confirmed police had first indicated their intention to withdraw court security services in December 2024.

Attorney General Tony Buti said the department and police had been working towards a solution since.

He said there had been an increase in funding to deploy 20 police auxiliary officers to regional courts, who were expected to be brought online in coming months.

When asked if the disruptions undermined confidence in the administration of justice in the regions, Mr Buti acknowledged the situation was "not ideal".

Deputy Opposition Leader Libby Mettam also said she was deeply concerned by the closures.

"It is completely unacceptable to see a situation where people are travelling for several hours to receive the justice they deserve," she said.

In a statement, the Department of Justice said it would actively support affected court users, including those involved in restraining order matters.

"Local registry staff will continue to support court users on the ground, including assisting with enquiries, lodgements, and access to remote hearings," it said.

"Final order hearings where a restraining order matter is contested should not be impacted over this period."