The Magistrates’ Court of Victoria has announced it will be overhauling its website. It says,

The redevelopment aims to improve the usability of the site, add features such as RSS feeds, and ultimately improve the on-line service that the Court provides.

The new version should be running by Friday.

A couple of new Practice Directions are also being brought in for the new financial year.

Practice Direction No 4 of 2006, which regulates the conduct of Court 1 at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, is being revoked. It hasn’t been followed for a long time. Instead, Practice Direction No 5 of 2012 will take effect on July 1.

Practice Direction No 6 involves gaol orders. It introduces a new form requiring more information than the standard form provided at Schedule 2 of the Corrections Regulations 2009.

Specifically, the Magistrates’ Court wants to know why an audio/visual link isn’t being used (a reversal of the traditional presumption), and whether the other party is aware of the application for a gaol order.

Unlike Direction No 5, the direction about gaol orders doesn’t seem limited to proceedings at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.