Eligibility
Court Link services are available in Magistrate Courts in Brisbane, Caboolture, Cairns, Holland Park, Ipswich, Maroochydore, Mount Isa, Pine Rivers, Redcliffe, Rockhampton, and Southport.
Adults appearing in one of these Magistrates Court for a criminal offence can be referred to Court Link.
The person should need help with issues like:
- drug or alcohol use
- mental or physical health
- homelessness or risk of homelessness
- impaired decision-making.
Participation is voluntary, and there’s no limit to how many times someone can be referred.
What to expect at the Magistrates Court
Referral process
Referrals can come from any person including:
- legal representatives
- magistrates
- police (including when a person is in the watch-house)
- family or friends
- the person themselves.
A referral can be made by completing Form 1 – Referral Form (PDF, 785.0 KB) and submitting it to Court Link.
Legal practitioners can refer clients directly to Court Link without the form on the day of court.
Next steps
- Assessment (triage): A case manager will assess the person’s risk and needs.
- Community referral: Persons deemed to have lower risk and needs can be referred to community services.
- Case management: Persons deemed to have moderate to high risk and needs can receive 12 weeks of case management. This includes a personalised plan (a case plan) and referrals to support services. Participants must be admitted to case management by the magistrate and be on bail to access case management.
Court Link aims to avoid duplicating services. If someone is already receiving case management, such as through Probation and Parole or a mental health provider, the Court Link case manager will consider their circumstances before making a recommendation for participation in the program.
Judicial monitoring
Judicial monitoring is a term used to describe when a person’s progress is overseen by a magistrate (the court).
The court monitors participants’ progress and engagement with Court Link case management through regular updates from Court Link officers.
When a participant finishes the program, a final Court Link report is provided to the court. The court may consider a participant’s positive engagement when deciding a sentence.
Participant responsibilities
Participants must:
- consent to participate in the program
- treat staff with respect
- follow their case plan
- attend appointments and court as required
- notify their case manager of any changes to contact details.
Participants not engaging
If a participant doesn’t engage, the court may remove them from the program. This won’t result in extra penalties or a breach of bail offence.
More information
For more information, read the Court Link fact sheet (PDF, 280.4 KB).
