Disability Justice Plan

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (14:38): My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney-General update the house on the upcoming Disability Justice Plan Symposium?

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis: Can you?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform) (14:38): I thank the honourable member for his question, and yes I can. There has been a strong interest in the inaugural Disability Justice Plan Symposium being held tomorrow, and the event is now fully booked. The symposium is a key action in South Australia's Disability Justice Plan. The 150 attendees will include a broad range of community leaders and representatives from the disability sector, policymakers in criminal justice agencies, representatives from our courts, and researchers to share findings and promote best practice in improving access to justice.

I will be opening the symposium and will launch the Disability Justice Plan annual report for 2014-15, which outlines the achievements and milestones in the first year of the plan's implementation. Keynote speakers at the symposium include: Graeme Innes AM, Australia's former disability discrimination commissioner; Terese Henning, Director of the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute; and the Hon. Kelly Vincent MLC.

Workshops in the afternoon of the symposium will provide an opportunity for the community and interested parties to provide further input into the implementation of key initiatives in the Disability Justice Plan. The event will contribute to the ongoing cultural change across the criminal justice agencies, which is vital to the plan's success. It will also provide an opportunity to report back to the community on progress and build on the strong consultation that went on at the time of the plan's original development.