Established in July 2019, the Justice Advocacy Service (JAS) is a support service for victims, witnesses and defendants with a cognitive impairment that aims to empower them to exercise their rights and navigate the criminal justice system. JAS provides various supports, including arranging support persons to attend police, court and legal appointments with clients of the service.

The  NSW Government is expanding JAS to include a court-based diversion service at the Downing Centre, Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith, Gosford and Lismore local courts. The expansion will connect defendants to services, including the NDIS, and support them to make an application for a court diversion order. 

The new expanded JAS will provide the following services:

• A state-wide service that supports victims, witnesses and defendants who may have a cognitive impairment participate in police, legal and court processes by providing a support person and other ‘reasonable adjustments’.

• At the Downing Centre, Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith, Gosford and Lismore local courts, it will offer targeted case coordination to eligible defendants with a cognitive impairment that will support them to make an application for a diversion order under the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020. 

• Capacity building, including training, to justice agency staff who interact with people with a cognitive impairment.