Going to court is one of the most stressful experiences that someone can go through. In telling their story over and over again, people can re-traumatise and suffer terrible emotional and physical stress while others can disengage totally. In my work as Victims Engagement Coordinator at the Office of Public Prosecutions (OPP), I see this trauma every day. The justice system is continually working to make the court experience more trauma sensitive.
Studies have long shown the physiological and psychological benefits of interacting with dogs. I am a dog lover and trainer and I have worked with my own dogs in hospital and school programs. In 2017 I began researching the use of dogs to provide support to people in legal settings.
I found no programs in Australia using dogs in a legal setting but my research led me to the great work of Courthouse Dogs Foundation in the United states of America. From this, I developed and ran a twelve week pilot program at the OPP. Due to the overwhelming feedback we were receiving from victims, witnesses, solicitors and social workers, the program was extended in 2018 to two days per week.
To take our program to the next level of having a full time program and also to be able to assist other agencies keen to consider adopting a program, I needed to know more about how dogs could help to facilitate the justice process. And so my Churchill Fellowship journey began.
Findings
Julie Morrison found that professionally trained court support dogs can significantly improve the ability of vulnerable victims and witnesses to participate in the justice process. By reducing stress and anxiety, dogs help people feel calmer, more grounded, and more able to communicate clearly.
Physiologically, the presence of a calm dog increases oxytocin and reduces stress responses, which improves memory, concentration, and emotional regulation. This support enables victims, particularly children and trauma survivors, to give more accurate and complete evidence. Julie also found that the dogs enhance the justice process without compromising fairness, provided they are properly trained, handled by legal professionals, and integrated through formal protocols such as pre-trial approval and clear role definitions.
Key recommendations include embedding dogs within justice agencies, ensuring handlers are trained legal professionals, using formal approval processes and documented evidence of the dog’s impact, and developing clear job descriptions to prioritise requests and protect the dog’s wellbeing. She also emphasises building community engagement, securing sustainable funding through partnerships and trusts, and educating courts and stakeholders to ensure dogs are recognised as tools that enhance justice by helping victims safely and effectively give evidence.
2023 Impact Funding: Undertake a formal independent evaluation of the OPP court dog program
Impact Project Overview
This project will undertake a formal independent evaluation of the OPP court dog program to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement, ultimately enhancing its impact and benefit to the community. The evaluation will capture the extent, quality, and nature of the experiences of court users who have accessed the service. Given that the program supports court users with particular vulnerabilities, the project will apply a trauma-informed approach to ensure the evaluation is appropriate, respectful, and meaningful.
More
Listen to Julie's story 'A Dogs Day In Court' on The Wayfinders Podcast
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