The Law Society of NSW and Police Association of NSW are jointly calling for a new multi-jurisdiction justice precinct to replace outdated, overflowing and unsafe court facilities in the Macarthur region.

President of The Law Society of NSW President Doug Humphreys said a projected explosion in the population was expected to put even greater pressure on the courts and legal services in Macarthur that were already brimming to capacity.

“The three local courts at Camden, Campbelltown and Picton are overflowing and ill-equipped to manage the backlogs in criminal and civil cases,” Mr Humphreys said.

“This means victims of crime and residents seeking resolutions to business and family disputes are waiting inordinate amounts of time for justice.”

Vice President of the Police Association of NSW Patrick Gooley said court backlogs in the Macarthur region were absorbing police time that could be better spent responding to and investigating crime.

“Crime prevention requires smart planning and smart investment in the justice system,” Mr Gooley said.

“This means ensuring our courts have the necessary resources and security as well as adequate numbers of police prosecutors and support staff to serve our community.”

President of Macarthur Law Society Brett McGrath said both Camden and Picton Local Courts did not have adequate security facilities for many types of cases including apprehended violence orders relating to family violence.

Mr McGrath said this was despite a disturbing increase of around 44.9 per cent in the number of domestic violence cases in the Camden Local Government Area over the past two years.

“While an increase in the number of domestic violence cases may be attributed in part to growth in the population, a lack of appropriate court resources poses serious safety concerns for court users and particularly for victims of crime,” he said.