Court shutdown to end after Department of Justice resolves security dispute

More than 20 courts in regional Western Australia were due to remain closed until the end of August amid a security dispute. The closures resulted in police having to transport more than 157 people from regional communities to major centres, including by via the air wing, to face court. What's next? They will now reopen a month earlier than originally planned on August 3, once police auxiliary officers have received their training. A security shortfall that left more than 20 regional Western Australian courts closed, creating delays, dislocation and reduced access to justice, has been resolved. The state's top judicial officers last month announced the courts would shut for about 12 weeks due to a dispute between the Justice Department and police about the staffing of security personnel. The circuit courts, located in regional areas such as Fitzroy Crossing, Newman and Exmouth, are not open every day, but rather at certain times of the year when they are visited by travelling judicial officers. Attorney-General Tony Buti has now confirmed those services can be guaranteed from August 3, about a month earlier than expected, because additional police auxiliary officers have been trained. "There's six [officers] that have now been trained [and] are ready to go to these regional courts to provide the security," he told 102.5 ABC Perth. "And there's funding [for] up to 20, and they should be available from early August." Cases rescheduled Dr Buti said the Justice Department was in the process of looking at rescheduling cases that had been affected by the closures. "The parties involved will be informed of that as soon as possible," he said. Legal advocates said that had left people stranded in those communities in some cases, including a 16-year-old with no accommodation, family support or transport home. The Justice Department said it had been providing accommodation and transport support to people in those situations.