A recent study, "The privilege and the pressure: Judges’ and magistrates’ reflections on the sources and impacts of stress in judicial work," by Carly Schrever, Carol Hulbert, and Tania Sourdin, explores the stress experienced by judges and magistrates as part of Australia's first empirical research project on judicial stress and wellbeing.
Through thematic analysis of 59 in-depth interviews with judicial officers from five Australian courts, the study, representing the largest scale interview study of judicial stress ever conducted, identifies eight key themes. These themes shed light on the sources and impacts of judicial stress and suggest potential strategies for better managing this stress within the judiciary.
Key findings highlight the centrality of workload, leadership, cultural stigma, and perceptions of unfairness in the judicial stress experience, underscoring the urgent need for systemic action to support judicial wellbeing. The study also offers novel insights into the lived experience of judges, particularly the challenges faced by judicial leaders and those in their middle years.
For a detailed examination of the study's methodology, results, and implications, read the full article via the link below.
Feature image: Dr Carly Schrever, Associate Professor Carol Hulbert and Professor Tania Sourdin