Lawyers have called for the state government to upgrade Wimmera courthouses to make them safer for everyone.

Horsham solicitor Melissa Schilling, from Power and Bennett, said it was only a matter of time before something terrible happened at courthouses in the region.

“All courts in the Wimmera are unfit for purpose in the 21^st century, especially Horsham,” she said.

Ms Schilling said anyone who was involved in litigation against someone else, or is a victim of crime, was at risk in court.

She said it was disturbing for victims to be in close proximity to someone involved in the same case. 

“People who have to go to court are already anxious enough,” she said.

Ms Schilling said lawyers either had to sit in the foyer or stand outside to talk with their clients.

“Horsham is the busiest court in the Wimmera and it’s not equipped to handle the number of people it has to deal with,” she said.

Ms Schilling said the state governments needed to upgrade Wimmera courts. 

“We need purpose-built courthouses, but we are not a priority,” she said.

“I don’t know how the problem can be fixed, we need to start from scratch.

“We don’t need airport-level security like they have in Melbourne, but we are completely without anything and it’s a huge concern to anyone who has to attend court.” Horsham Legal Aid managing lawyer Julia Barling said she wanted all court users to feel safe.

“Police and lawyers try to do what they can, but many Wimmera courthouses are historical buildings and only have a certain number of rooms,” she said.

“This makes it impossible to keep victims and perpetrators physically separate.

“At Stawell for example the space to wait is very limited.

“Ararat have a room available for people who want to be kept separate, but that was only because the courthouse had a spare room – most courthouses don’t have that.”

Ms Barling said it was a difficult situation and significant changes to the courthouses would have to be made to rectify it.

“I don’t think there is a way to eliminate the issue altogether,” she said.

“The police need to be acknowledged for their efforts in ensuring situations don’t escalate.

The 2017-18 state budget includes $130.3 million to develop specialist family violence courts across the state, but none will be built in the Wimmera.

Attorney-General Martin Pakula said the state government was making significant investments in courts to ensure they were safer for the community.

“Across the west of the state, we are investing about $1.5 million to upgrade a number of courts to address key recommendations from the Royal Commission into Family Violence,” he said.

“This includes $30,000 for the Stawell Magistrate’s Court to upgrade the registry area and new dedicated security officers will be rolled out from July.

“The government will continue to work with Court Services Victoria on its priorities and future funding needs.”