Sheriffs from Tenterfield and Glen Innes have undertaken Industrial Action and walked off the job over pay and staffing issues, resulting in all listings now being moved to Armidale.
According to an article in the Inverell Times, Sue Dakin of Dakin Law in Inverell has aired her frustrations saying this continued action is at the expense of the vulnerable, with Solicitor Allan Kemp also agreeing with the sentiment saying there were 44 matters listed for Tenterfield today, but defendants and witnesses would be unaware they would be heard 2 hrs south.
A spokesperson for Department of Communities and Justice says they acknowledge the Public Service Association of NSW’s (PSA) industrial action has caused disruptions and often takes place on short notice, adding the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) is working with the PSA to resolve this industrial issue as soon as possible.
Ms Dakin says some online alerts about the changes had been posted, but weren’t reflected in the registry and would leave people in the lurch, and that regional communities already experience lesser access to justice than those in metropolitan areas.
