InBrief

The Productivity Commmission has today released its annual Report on Government Services (Volume C: Justice). ROGS provides information on the equity, effectiveness and efficiency of government services in Australia. In the case of the NSW court system, the results are encouraging. While recidivism and rates of return to incarceration are among the highest in Australia, clearance rates are increasing and backlogs in the District and Local courts fell. Interestingly, the "efficiency" of the NSW court system is such that it costs the government just $45 per person per year to run (net of court fees) - compared to $125 for corrective services.