The Assessment and Referral Court (ARC) List is a pioneering Victorian approach to address the needs of accused people who have a mental illness and/or cognitive impairment.
Operating as a specialist list at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, the focus of the program is to assess the needs of participants and help link them to appropriate community services.
Receiving over 550 referrals since its inception in 2010, the ARC List has improved many people’s quality of life, reduced re-offending and improved understanding of mental and cognitive impairment by magistrates, police officers and legal practitioners. The success of the program is reflected in the 80 per cent completion rate of those accepted onto the ARC List.