Meet Ann—a PACT volunteer
‘If you want to have a village, you must be a villager’
It's Queensland Law Week—and this year we're recognising the people powering justice across our state.
One of those is Ann White, a ‘lapsed lawyer’ by her own description, and one of more than 100 PACT (Protect All Children Today) volunteers who support victims and witnesses of all ages through the Queensland court process.
Ann first heard about PACT through her daughter's hockey team.
‘Volunteering with PACT has given me the chance to be meaningfully involved in the legal sector again,’ she says. ‘Without having to worry about timesheets.’
The work
PACT volunteers walk alongside victims and witnesses of all ages as they navigate court—providing calm, practical support at what can be one of the most overwhelming moments of a victim or witness’s life.
‘Going to court is overwhelming and intimidating for most people, but especially so for those asked to recount traumatic experiences,’ Ann says. ‘PACT volunteers alleviate the uncertainty and provide calm, practical support, so vulnerable victims and witnesses feel prepared and able to accurately recount their experiences in court.’
She speaks with quiet awe about the people she meets through the role.
‘It takes real courage for these victims and witnesses to speak up in court. Seeing this courage first-hand stays with you.’
The heavy lifting of powering justice
For Ann, this year's Law Week theme has a particular resonance.
‘From the vantage point of a PACT volunteer, I am repeatedly reminded that in criminal proceedings, it is everyday adults and children—the victims and witnesses—who do the heavy lifting of powering justice,’ she says.
She's quick to credit the people and reforms working behind the scenes too - trauma-informed changes to court process, the role of the Victims' Commissioner, and initiatives across the system that have improved access to justice.
But at the centre of it, she says, are the witnesses themselves.
The moments that stay
When asked to share a moment where her volunteer work made a difference, Ann offers not one moment, but several—quietly, almost in passing.
‘There is something quietly profound about observing a young woman maintain composure in front of a crown prosecutor, but later needing a moment to blink back tears brought by the unexpected kindness she has been shown.
‘A child who leaves a remote witness suite and tells their anxious parent of the kindness in the judge's voice. The mother who thanks my fellow volunteer for sitting with her child in a moment she could not. The steadfast presence of a police officer and court security who will escort a particularly nervous witness in the public lift.
‘These acts make a genuine difference to a vulnerable witness's experience of our justice system.’
A country town upbringing
Ann grew up in a country town where volunteering—though it didn't really have a name - was simply what people did.
‘We were lucky to have so many adults invested in bettering our childhood,’ she says.
‘Volunteering sits at both ends of human experience: at the coalface of the saddest and most difficult moments, and also as a quiet presence in the happiest. I've certainly benefited from this generosity myself, and it matters to me to square the ledger.’
She believes the credibility of a volunteer is one of the things that makes the support so powerful.
‘Because volunteers are not there in a transactional role, there is an inherent credibility of goodwill and intent. It helps to build trust, even in situations where it is fragile or hard-won. Volunteering makes our communities safer not just in theory, but in practice—because volunteers roll up their sleeves and show up where, and at moments that matter the most.’
The villager
Asked what she'd say to someone considering volunteering in the justice system, Ann offers the words borrowed from one of her young friends.
‘If you want to have a village, you must be a villager.’
About PACT
PACT is a Queensland not-for-profit organisation supporting victims and witnesses of all ages, and their families, through the court process. PACT volunteers help vulnerable victims and witnesses better understand and navigate the justice system while providing compassionate, trauma-informed support and a calm, consistent presence throughout the journey