Last week Nowra continued to lead the way when it came to including Aboriginal people and their traditions into the justice system by hosting the State’s first care circle.

NSW Chief Magistrate Graeme Henson said the care circle brought Aboriginal elders together to draw up a plan to look after indigenous children who were in danger of neglect or abuse.

With its focus on traditional values and commonsense, the care circle employed the principles that had made circle sentencing such a success, Mr Henson said.

The pioneers of circle sentencing were honoured with a ceremony at the Nowra Court House on Tuesday.

Nowra Local Court Magistrate Doug Dick and Aboriginal Elder Ethel Little unveiled a plaque.

During the ceremony Mr Dick paid tribute to the elders who had “blazed a bright and permanent trail” through their involvement in circle sentencing by tackling the underlying issues contributing to offending behaviour.

“Sentences in a local court can sometimes sidestep rather than solve offending behaviour,” he said.

Instead, the circle court utilised the wisdom and commonsense of the elders, said Nowra Circle Sentencing Coordinator, Gail Wallace.

“They show the brilliance that we knew all along existed within our community,” she said.