DELEGATES SUPPORT CHILDREN'S COURT

A plan to set up a pilot children's drug court was the first major
resolution passed by the NSW drugs summit yesterday.

The 215 voting delegates began casting their ballots yesterday
afternoon on nearly 170 special resolutions arising from the week-long
summit at Parliament House, which began on Monday.

A drug court for adults in western Sydney already allows for
non-violent offenders to opt for strictly supervised rehabilitation
instead of jail.

``There should be established a pilot program for a Children's Drug
Court as part of the Children's Court system, to be adequately
resourced for the treatment and rehabilitation of young people with
alcohol and other drug problems,'' the resolution said.

It will form part of a communique to government and backs repeated
calls from Chief Children's Court magistrate Stephen Scarlett to
establish a drug court for children.

The thornier issues of establishing safe injecting rooms and heroin
trials were moved to the end of the debate, which was expected to
continue into the night.

One special resolution was that the State Government become the first
in Australia to legalise shooting galleries, opposed by four senior
Liberal MPs, Labor MP Gerard Martin and pharmacist Phil O'Grady.

The plan recommended non-government agencies run injecting rooms, a
change from a preliminary proposal agreed to by Attorney-General Jeff
Shaw earlier this week where the Health Department would have operated
the facilities.

The controversial move won unexpected support from at least two
Liberal delegates.