July 26, 2004

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey today applauded the New Jersey Supreme Court's response to the Final Report and Recommendations of the Court's Task Force on Gay and Lesbian Issues. The Court accepted the report, which found that most gay and lesbian people who have had contact with the Court system and who responded to a survey of the Task Force, had either directly experienced bias in the court system or believed that such bias exists. In doing so, the Court has recognized the importance of the concerns of the most likely targets of sexual orientation bias, gays and lesbians. The full text of the Final Report as well as the Supreme Court's Determinations can be found at the New Jersey Judiciary's website at http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/pressrel/pr010926.htm.

The Supreme Court decided to act in some way on each of the recommendations of the Task Force. The most laudable step being taken by the Supreme Court is to install an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Officer for each county courthouse. This action, which goes beyond the specific recommendation of the Task Force, will help to monitor and discourage discriminatory work place practices in the judicial system on the basis of gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and other unlawful bases. The Supreme Court is setting a strong example for other employers in the State for policing internal work place practices.

The Court will also distribute copies of the full Final Report or a summary of the Final Report to all judges, judiciary supervisors, bar associations, judiciary employees, as well as the public. The Court will review the bias and discrimination components of judge and judicial employee training. Finally, the Court has appointed an individual to oversee the implementation of these actions.

The ACLU-NJ supports all efforts of the Supreme Court to prevent bias or discrimination on any unlawful basis within the judicial system. We believe that the steps that the Court has chosen to take will make the judicial system more accessible to all who wish to utilize the courts in New Jersey and especially lesbians and gays.