Vic coalition helps preserve independence of key Victorian law body

The Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition has helped to preserve the independence of a key Victorian law body by stopping the Victoria Law Foundation from being dominated by Labor cronies.

Shadow Attorney-General Robert Clark said today amendments passed by the Legislative Council and accepted by the government this week would help protect the independence of the Victoria Law Foundation.

“Labor has a well-deserved reputation for stacking boards and agencies with its political flunkies, but won’t be able to do that with the Victoria Law Foundation,” Mr Clark said.

“The Foundation has been a significant part of the Victorian legal landscape for more than 40 years, working hard to improve legal education and research and enhance community understanding of the law and the legal system.

“The Brumby Government had attempted to replace the current independent board of the Foundation with a board consisting solely of members chosen by the Attorney-General.

“The amendments made to the Victoria Law Foundation Bill mean that at least half of the members of the Foundation’s board, including the chair, must be independent nominees.

“We originally sought to ensure the independence of the Board by requiring that six of the eight members of the Board be non-government nominees, but rather than agree to retaining an independent board the Government let the Bill sit on the notice paper in the Legislative Council from August last year until late last month.

“Eventually, the Government accepted that at least half of the board should be independent and an amendment to that effect was carried with the support of the Greens,” Mr Clark said.

Under the Bill as amended, the board will consist of one nominee of each of the Chief Justice, the Law Institute, the Victorian Bar and the Federation of Community Legal Centres, and up to four people chosen by the Attorney-General.

The Greens and the DLP supported further Coalition amendments to require that the chair be the nominee of the Chief Justice, to require that the Attorney-General must fill any vacancy amongst independent nominees with the replacement nominee as soon as practicable, and to extend the functions of the Foundation to include research into legal education and the administration of justice.

“The Foundation has always operated with a board independent of government, and funded from interest earned on solicitors’ trust accounts – yet Labor wanted to seize control of this independent and well-regarded public institution and turn it into yet another instrument of political patronage.

“Fortunately the Coalition, with support from the minor parties, has ensured that a majority of votes on the board will be cast by members independent of the Brumby Government,” Mr Clark said.