Magistrate Pauline Spencer1
1Head of Division – Specialists Courts, Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Abstract:
Judicial officers need to develop protective skills to avoid stress, vicarious trauma, and burnout. Compassion is one skill that can be incredibly beneficial. Compassion involves recognising a person’s suffering, and ‘turning towards’ the sufferer. This has been said to be ‘neurologically rejuvenating’. In contrast, empathy alone can lead to distress and generate burnout. There are three pillars of compassionate practice: (1) procedural fairness; (2) judicial engagement; and (3) other therapeutic jurisprudence approaches and court programs. In this presentation Magistrate Spencer will share her experience as to how compassionate practice can not only inspire people who have harmed or offended to achieve rehabilitation goals but also support victims’ safer engagement in court processes and support their recovery. Such skills can be applied in both traditional court lists and specialist courts. Such a compassionate approach is not only of benefit to people involved in court processes but can also improve judicial effectiveness, health, and the fostering of a healthy work environment.