Judicial Officers with Leadership Responsibilities Program

The National Judicial College of Australia is pleased to announce the return of the popular two-day program, Judicial Officers with Leadership Responsibilities. This thought-provoking course is focused on practical outcomes and designed especially for court leaders facing complex environments, contemporary challenges and pressures of external scrutiny.

The focus of this program is on the qualities that a judge, magistrate or tribunal member with leadership responsibilities needs to develop and on their practical application.

The program will encompass experiential judicial learning principles, enhanced by discussion and exchange of experiences between participants.

The role and responsibilities of judicial leaders are considerable, requiring the management of many relationships, both internal and external. From the role as leader of the court, to functional communications with government, the media and the wider public, there is a myriad of relational responsibilities to respond and navigate between values, relationships and efficiency.

To that end, the program rationale for 2025 is to provide participants, within this context, the opportunity to consider their impact as a relational leader, managing these relationships in adherence to the administration of justice values that underpin the judiciary as a public institution.

Participants will engage with leadership theory, case studies, role play and group discussions, all led by the nation’s judicial and managerial experts, to ensure that they are well-equipped to build a productive workplace and manage the reputation of the court.

By the end of the program, participants will:

• have an understanding of what is effective leadership
• have an understanding of managing complex environments;
• be able to unpack their own blind spots and exercise strategies to minimise them;
• be aware of their own leadership strengths and weaknesses and the embodiment of the judicial leadership role;
• be aware of their impact, as a leader, on other members of their court;
• appreciate the need to harness influence to achieve goals;
• understand the principles that sustain a strong court culture and environment;
• have techniques to address the demands of relational management, including an increased awareness of workplace bullying and practical strategies to overcome it;
• have an understanding of the contemporary research on judicial stress and well-being and practices that can be adopted to build resilient workplaces;
• have identified strategies and skills for influencing and building relationships with key stakeholders;
• apply skills to foster collegiality and enthusiasm within their court;
• develop your personal leadership and management capabilities to make an impact and contribute to the effectiveness of your court; and
• Improve your people management and performance management to increase productivity while respecting judicial independence.
  

Leadership is critical to creating a culture of confidence, cooperation, respect and participation. It requires the ongoing honing of core competencies for effective leadership and management, building self-awareness, empathy, emotional intelligence and an understanding of personal impact and how to manage change and manage people, all the while dealing with issues fairly using processes that are transparent and fair.

Accommodation and flights to Sydney are not included in the registration fee. Included is programmed catering and program materials and resources.

We encourage participants to also consider registering for the NJCA Indigenous Justice Program, to be held in the two days prior, to harness cross-over skills and enhance knowledge.