In evidence provided to state parliament late last year, the Courts Administration Authority warned that the Youth Court had resorted to using Magistrates and Supreme Court courtrooms to hear matters due to a lack of space.

It said those courtrooms were “not fit for purpose” for Youth Court matters, as they do not allow for children and young people to be kept separate from adults and they do not have dedicated youth holding cells.

“The Adelaide Youth Court building remains not fit for purpose with the facilities being cramped and outdated,” it advised.

“The Court requires an additional court room.”

Inside a waiting room at the Adelaide Youth Court. Photo: Stephanie Richards/InDaily

About 100 people pass through the Youth Court building on any given day, with the court last financial year finalising 3459 criminal matters and 1352 care and protection matters.

As well as criminal and child protection matters, the Youth Court also hears adoption and surrogacy cases.

The Courts Administration Authority said that while the number of care and protection matters in South Australia has remained static, the number of appearances per matter has increased due to expanded appeal rights placing pressure on the Youth Court. 

It said it is also taking about eight weeks to list youth crime trials, with trials continuing for longer periods.

The main waiting room and registrar at the Adelaide Youth Court. Photo: Stephanie Richards/InDaily

In response to questions from InDaily, a spokesperson from the Courts Administration Authority said that no child had been held in an adult cell for a Youth Court hearing.

They said the Youth Court building was last refurbished in 2000 and continued to provide services, but had “limited suitable space for functioning in a youth contemporary justice system”.

“(It) has a broad range of physical constraints due to its configuration and access, with limited ability to accommodate increasing service needs,” they said.

“This includes high demand on court rooms and limitations in conferencing facilities, vulnerable witness facilities and adequate egress, without major refurbishment.”

Concerns have also been raised about the lack of separation between child protection and criminal matters, with families attending for care and protection hearings often forced to wait in the same room as those attending for criminal matters.

The Adelaide Youth Court building on Wright Street. Photo: Stephanie Richards/InDaily

The spokesperson for the Courts Administration Authority said it was looking to undertake a business case for a Youth Court refurbishment.

“The Courts Administration Authority intends to undertake work to determine service needs for a future business case for funding,” they said.

A state government spokesperson said the proposal would be assessed “through the normal processes”.