Author, Journalist

One of Australia’s most experienced court reporters goes on a judicial road trip.

A sometimes funny, sometimes tragic look at the comings and goings on inside the country courtrooms dotted across Australia.

From the case of the stolen cat flap, to missing lollipops and exploding chocolate milk in a country supermarket, to a custody dispute over a camel – Jamelle Wells has seen the lighter and quirky side of outback courts but has also witnessed the harsh, dark, and petty side of outback life – including the high rates of Indigenous incarceration, alcohol-related and domestic violence.

After 20 years in city courtrooms reporting for the ABC on some of the country’s highest profile cases, in Outback Court Reporter, Jamelle takes you into country courtrooms, from the grand sandstone edifices of Cobar and Grafton to the repurposed community halls and police stations in outback Queensland and the Northern Territory – introducing the court staff – the solicitors, prosecutors, magistrates, witnesses and accused, in cases that shock, captivate and divide communities.

Outback Court Reporter is also a timely reminder of the need for reform as country magistrates struggle with massive caseloads and limited resources, the fall-out of a failing regional health system and limited bail and sentencing options in a justice system that is under pressure and communities still disadvantaged by the vastness of our continent.

From true crime to petty crime - this is the memoir of one of Australia's most experienced court reporters.

Longlisted in the True Crime category for the 2019 Davitt and Ned Kelly Awards.

As a seasoned court reporter, Jamelle Wells filed thousands of stories on murderers, sex offenders, thieves, bad drivers, family feuds and business deals gone wrong for the ABC.  She witnessed many of Australia's most notorious and high-profile court cases. In the line of duty, Jamelle sat next to criminals and their families, was chased, spat on, stalked, and carted off by ambulance for emergency surgery after an accident outside ICAC.

Every day in courts across Australia the evidence, facts and theories are played out in a kind of theatre, with their own characters, costumes, and traditions. But ever-present is the human tragedy of ordinary people's lives disrupted, destroyed, and forever altered. The judges, the lawyers and barristers, the witnesses, and the victims -- all striving to play their part in the quest for fairness, justice and always, the truth of what really happened.

From the calculated and cruel, to the unfair and unlucky, from pure evil to plain stupid -- Jamelle Wells has seen it all.

The Court Reporter is a tough and fearless journalist's memoir that looks at the cases that have shocked, moved, and never left us.