About this webinar

This seminar will explore what defendant and offence characteristics influence court diversion outcomes and the impact of the individual magistrate deciding upon a case. The findings from a series of studies from Dr. Christel Macdonald's PhD study will be presented. These studies include a magistrate survey and an analysis of the treatment plans and reports written by clinicians and provided to the NSW Local Court.

About this speaker

Christel Macdonald completed her PhD in March 2024 at NDARC. Her thesis explored factors related to court diversion for offenders with a mental illness or cognitive impairment. Christel has worked in research in the drug and alcohol space at the National Drug and Alcohol Centre (NDARC) since 2019, with a particular focus on treatment and intervention for people coming into contact with the criminal justice system.