Brad Hazzard/Stuart Ayres med rel: NSW FIRST IN THE COUNTRY TO ISSUE ELECTRONIC WARRANTS

Attorney General Brad Hazzard and Police and Emergency Services Minister Stuart Ayres today announced NSW is the first state to introduce electronic arrest warrants.

Mr Hazzard said 99 per cent of arrest warrants issued in criminal proceedings in NSW are now electronically signed and transmitted between the courts and NSW Police.

“This is the first time in Australia that criminal arrest warrants no longer require a court officer to provide a signature on a piece of paper,” Mr Hazzard said.

“The courts can now issue arrest warrants at a click of a button and have them to front-line police within a matter of minutes, ensuring we can better protect victims and the community.

“It also means any orders to revoke arrest warrants can happen instantly reducing any risk of unlawful arrest.

“Since it began operating in April this year, we have issued more than 3,800 electronic arrest warrants statewide.

“The NSW Government is working hard to improve the way courts operate so we can better support front-line police and keep the community safe.”

Police and Emergency Services Minister Stuart Ayres welcomed the introduction of electronic arrest warrants.

“This is a vital link in improving the timeliness, accuracy and integrity of the data exchanged between police and the courts,” Mr Ayres said.

Although 99 per cent of arrest warrants in criminal proceedings in NSW are now issued electronically some are still being manually signed including the Supreme Court and forensic procedure warrants.