How did the Neighbourhood Justice Centre (NJC) come to be? What does it take to create a lasting and effective model of community justice?

In the third talk in our six-part series of Zoom conversations about the NJC’s work, we’ll ask former Victorian Attorney-General, Rob Hulls, these questions. During Rob’s term as Attorney-General, he championed and instigated some major, innovative changes to Victoria’s legal system, including establishing the NJC in 2007.

In this talk, Rob will explain how he first learned about community justice and became convinced of its value. He’ll discuss the intricacies of establishing the NJC and other specialist courts and programs in Victoria and explain why we can’t afford not to embrace new models of justice.

Rob Hulls, Director, Centre for Innovative Justice

Rob Hulls began his career in 1984 as a solicitor for the Legal Aid Commission of Victoria, followed by a life in politics that saw him serving terms in federal and Victorian parliaments.

From 1999–2010, Rob was the Attorney-General for Victoria. Rob instigated significant changes to Victoria's legal system during this time, which saw the establishment of the state's first Charter of Human Rights and Reform to Victoria's Upper House. Rob established specialist courts in Victoria including the Neighbourhood Justice Centre.

In 2012 Rob was appointed Adjunct Professor at RMIT and was invited to establish the new Centre for Innovative Justice as its inaugural director. The Centre’s objective is to develop, drive, and expand the capacity of the justice system to meet and adapt to the needs of its diverse users