Attorney-General

Hard to believe, but the Andrews government is trying to push a new law through Parliament to allow people to choose for themselves what sex is listed on their birth certificate, regardless of their biology ... Read More

Today' Age reports on a government "shake' up" of the child protection residential care system. You'd like to think this “shake-up” will achieve some good, but it’s hard to be hopeful. There are some great ... Read More

This is a disgrace. Victoria’s Labor State government has effectively handed a multi-million dollar gift to the CFMEU. Last Friday, the government quietly dropped all legal proceedings over the CFMEU’s alleged defiance of Supreme Court ... Read More

This week brought another example of how Liberal-Nationals governments get on with practical law reform. Each year, thousands of Victorians put their life savings on the line to start small businesses, often in partnership with ... Read More

It is pleasing that the Andrews Government is proceeding with legislation drafted by the Napthine Government to remove all limitation periods for civil claims by victims of criminal child abuse, which was released for public ... Read More

New legislation has come into operation today to amend Victoria's laws on wills and inheritance. The legislation, introduced by the Coalition Government, will help ensure families are not caught up in unnecessary disputes and will ... Read More

Victoria's new Attorney-General, Martin Pakula, has no excuses if he does not introduce a range of significant legislation when Parliament sits later this month. Numerous Bills fully prepared under the Coalition prior to the election ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government came to office in 2010 determined to repair the damage caused by 11 years of the former Labor government’s soft on crime approach, its hostility towards the courts and the legal ... Read More

The Victorian Government welcomes today’s announcement by the ACCC that it has commenced legal action against the CFMEU and CFMEU officials John Setka and Shaun Reardon over the alleged secondary boycott of Boral. This decision ... Read More

• Reforms to provide for simpler and clearer civil appeals process in Court of Appeal • Supporting Victoria’s courts and improving access to justice • Napthine Government building a better Victoria Civil appeals to Victoria’s ... Read More

• VLRC to examine the use of regulatory regimes in preventing infiltration of industries or occupations by organised crime • Keeping the law ahead of organised crime • Napthine Government building a safer Victoria The ... Read More

Attorney-General Robert Clark said new laws to close a gap in Victoria’s surrogacy laws would help a number of families from today. Mr Clark said the new laws allow parents of children born in Victoria ... Read More

• Coalition to improve access to compensation for personal injury victims • Increased protection for victims • Napthine Government building a better Victoria A re-elected Coalition Government will introduce legislation into Parliament to reform the ... Read More

The Napthine Government has acted to restore the rights of people suffering asbestos-related conditions as a result of another’s fault. Until recently, those seeking compensation for an asbestos-related condition were not required to show that ... Read More

• Ministers of religion required to hold a Working with Children Check • An offence to fail to report information about child sexual abuse • Napthine Government building a safer Victoria Further important reforms to ... Read More

• Time limitations on civil actions for child abuse victims to be removed • Implementing Betrayal of Trust • Napthine Government building a safer Victoria A re-elected Napthine Coalition Government will remove all limitation periods ... Read More

The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has today failed in its attempt to overturn a Supreme Court finding that the CFMEU is guilty of criminal contempt for its blockades of the Grocon Emporium ... Read More

Legislation to clarify Victoria’s succession and surrogacy laws has been passed by the Victorian Parliament this afternoon. Attorney-General Robert Clark said the legislation amends Victoria’s succession laws to ensure they operate justly, fairly and in ... Read More

More problems have emerged for Premier Andrews’ dodgy claim that his “night court” will toughen up on bail decisions. Not only is his “night court” only sitting until 9pm, but now Victoria Police are warning ... Read More

Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday promised Victorians swift action to establish a “night court” that would toughen up on bail decisions. Now we find this so-called “night court” is sitting only from 5pm to 9pm ... Read More

Setting up a “night court”, as the government has announced, isn’t likely to achieve tougher bail decisions unless there are also big changes to the law and to attitudes within the justice system. The Victorian ... Read More

This is a disgrace. Victoria’s Labor State government has effectively handed a multi-million dollar gift to the CFMEU. Last Friday, the government quietly dropped all legal proceedings over the CFMEU’s alleged defiance of Supreme Court ... Read More

Today's Sunday Age carries a report on the pioneering work of the new Family Drug Treatment Court, under the leadership of Magistrate Greg Levine. It was a project that Minister for Community Services, Mary Wooldridge, ... Read More

Victoria's new Attorney-General, Martin Pakula, has no excuses if he does not introduce a range of significant legislation when Parliament sits later this month. Numerous Bills fully prepared under the Coalition prior to the election ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government came to office in 2010 determined to repair the damage caused by 11 years of the former Labor government’s soft on crime approach, its hostility towards the courts and the legal ... Read More

New powers for DPP to appeal against inadequate sentences Reforms to ensure sentences properly protect the community Napthine Coalition Government building a safer Victoria A re-elected Napthine Coalition Government will strengthen the ability of the ... Read More

• Reforms to provide for simpler and clearer civil appeals process in Court of Appeal • Supporting Victoria’s courts and improving access to justice • Napthine Government building a better Victoria Civil appeals to Victoria’s ... Read More

• New laws will reduce unjustified and costly claims brought by vexatious litigants • Courts and VCAT now have greater power to block vexatious litigants • Napthine Government improving the justice system New laws to ... Read More

• Construction of $12 million redevelopment of Bendigo court precinct complete • New and improved court facilities and new justice service centre • Napthine Government improving access to justice in regional Victoria The Attorney-General Robert ... Read More

• Coalition to allow publication of details of serious youth offences for people who commit further serious offences as adults • Adults who commit serious offences will no longer be able to hide their juvenile ... Read More

The Victorian Law Reform Commission (VLRC) is to undertake a detailed inquiry into the role of victims of crime in the criminal trial process. Attorney General Robert Clark today released the terms of reference for ... Read More

• Napthine Government to establish a new statewide youth diversion program • More than $7 million to help divert young people way from a life of crime • Comprehensive pilot program run by Children’s Court ... Read More

The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has today failed in its attempt to overturn a Supreme Court finding that the CFMEU is guilty of criminal contempt for its blockades of the Grocon Emporium ... Read More

Attorney-General Robert Clark today announced the appointment of Timothy Bourke to the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria. Mr Clark said Mr Bourke brought a wealth of experience to the bench. “Mr Bourke has more than 26 ... Read More

• New laws will further protect and empower victims of family violence and hold perpetrators to account • Ban on reporting cases will be lifted, ensuring perpetrators can no longer hide behind laws intended to ... Read More

Improved accountability for $1.5 billion held in trust by the Supreme Court More information and greater choice for beneficiaries Updating and modernising fund management practices Legislation to modernise the management of funds held by the ... Read More

A Liberal Nationals Victorian government will require criminals who commit home invasions or car jackings to be fitted with GPS tracking anklets when they are released from jail. GPS tracking anklets allow authorities to monitor ... Read More

Protective Services Officers have been a great success in keeping our stations safe and giving people the confidence to travel at night. This Liberal Nationals move to have PSOs during the daytime at Box Hill ... Read More

A Liberal Nationals government will provide 4,000 new Tasers for Victoria Police to use against violent offenders. Tasers incapacitate an offender with an electric charge so they can be subdued and arrested. With 4,000 additional ... Read More

Over the past three years, there's been a huge increase in violent crime and loss of respect for the law. We need the Liberal Nationals’ solutions to help make our homes and streets safe. From ... Read More

The latest crime statistics show that home invasions are up by 48% since the Andrews government was elected. Violent crime is continuing to rise in Victoria, even though it is falling in NSW. Thousands of ... Read More

Crime in Whitehorse is up by 8.8% over the past year. Across Victoria, since Daniel Andrews was elected, robbery has increased by 32.4%, sexual offences by 29.8%, home invasions by a massive 54.5%, assault by ... Read More

As the head of the NSW crime statistics bureau says: "...rates of robbery in NSW are now back to where they were in the late 1970s. Rates of home burglary and motor vehicle theft are ... Read More

It's no wonder people no longer feel safe, with crime in Victoria up 10.2% last year and up 20.2% since 2014. That’s 250 more crimes being committed in Victoria EVERY DAY. Nowhere is spared. In ... Read More

More problems have emerged for Premier Andrews’ dodgy claim that his “night court” will toughen up on bail decisions. Not only is his “night court” only sitting until 9pm, but now Victoria Police are warning ... Read More

Unbelievable. There's been yet another riot by violent juvenile offenders, and this one at the high security Barwon prison. As my colleague Georgie Crozier MP says, the fact that 16 dangerous youth offenders can run ... Read More

Instead of protecting Victorians, Labor's priority is protecting themselves. This week in State Parliament, the government should have been urgently passing legislation to tackle Victoria's law and order crisis. Instead, their priority is to have ... Read More

Victoria is the nation’s car theft capital after racking up 17,900 car thefts between July 2015 and June 2016, the latest statistics show. That’s a whopping 36.83% of Australia’s car thefts that are happening right ... Read More

Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday promised Victorians swift action to establish a “night court” that would toughen up on bail decisions. Now we find this so-called “night court” is sitting only from 5pm to 9pm ... Read More

Yet again, innocent Victorians are paying the price for a weak justice system and a soft on crime government. There have been riot after riot by juvenile inmates, yet the government has just let them ... Read More

Setting up a “night court”, as the government has announced, isn’t likely to achieve tougher bail decisions unless there are also big changes to the law and to attitudes within the justice system. The Victorian ... Read More

The latest crime statistics are out today, with more huge increases in crime rates, particularly violent crime. Assaults are up 13%, robberies are up 21% and home invasions are up a massive 36% - an ... Read More

After ignoring calls for action for weeks, Premier Andrews now says he wants to rush through legislation to keep Craig Minogue behind bars in the last three days of Parliament for the year. The Premier’s ... Read More

Having your home invaded and trashed by strangers is a terrible experience, but offenders are often never caught or simply let out on bail to go straight back to more burglaries. We need more frontline ... Read More

Over the past three years, there's been a huge increase in violent crime and loss of respect for the law. We need the Liberal Nationals’ solutions to help make our homes and streets safe. From ... Read More

The latest crime statistics show that home invasions are up by 48% since the Andrews government was elected. Violent crime is continuing to rise in Victoria, even though it is falling in NSW. Thousands of ... Read More

There is growing evidence Brighton terrorist Jacqub Khayre was released because the government failed to implement a key recommendation of the Callinan parole review, despite telling the community it had done so. If Khayre had ... Read More

It's no wonder people no longer feel safe, with crime in Victoria up 10.2% last year and up 20.2% since 2014. That’s 250 more crimes being committed in Victoria EVERY DAY. Nowhere is spared. In ... Read More

Yet again, innocent Victorians are paying the price for a weak justice system and a soft on crime government. There have been riot after riot by juvenile inmates, yet the government has just let them ... Read More

After ignoring calls for action for weeks, Premier Andrews now says he wants to rush through legislation to keep Craig Minogue behind bars in the last three days of Parliament for the year. The Premier’s ... Read More

Having your home invaded and trashed by strangers is a terrible experience, but offenders are often never caught or simply let out on bail to go straight back to more burglaries. We need more frontline ... Read More

It’s good to see arrests made after yet another terrible home invasion, but unfortunately the teen gang offenders involved are likely to receive the same sort of soft penalties being given to most other juvenile ... Read More

How much must youth crime increase before the Andrews government finally gets the message that its soft on crime approach has got to change? The government should have been acting to tackle youth crime a ... Read More

We've had yet another riot in Melbourne over the past weekend. The Andrews government repealed the Coalition’s move-on laws that gave police power to head off violent protests before they started, and now the community ... Read More

Where has Victoria got to when people can’t even drive on our streets in their own car without risking being rammed, attacked and robbed by an armed gang of violent youths? This is what you ... Read More

Victoria’s soaring crime rate shows the folly of the state government’s soft approach to crime, with crime up by 12.4 per cent and violent gangs thinking nothing of robbing and terrorising families in their own ... Read More

It looks as though some of last year's "smoking ban" prison rioters will face minimal consequences, with the main charges against them being dropped. These riots showed complete contempt for the law and for authority, ... Read More

Today's Herald Sun reports that two Apex gang members who bashed an elderly couple in their home got let off with six month probation and no conviction. If accurate, this report is very worrying indeed ... Read More

The government has now finally admitted the Chief Commissioner of Police has big problems with their watered down bail laws for juvenile offenders, after claiming less than 24 hours ago that Victoria Police supported these ... Read More

It's appalling that someone simply driving home along a Melbourne street can have their car deliberately rammed and then be bashed and robbed. But that's what has happened to a Melbourne man who was simply ... Read More

The costs for taxpayers continue to grow from last year's bungled introduction of smoking bans in Victorian prisons. Prisons smoking bans have been introduced without a hitch in New Zealand, Northern Territory, New South Wales, ... Read More

While Premier Daniel Andrews talks tough about crime in public, behind the scenes his government is changing the law so criminals who get sent to jail will be let off their unpaid fines! This means ... Read More

Today' Age reports on a government "shake' up" of the child protection residential care system. You'd like to think this “shake-up” will achieve some good, but it’s hard to be hopeful. There are some great ... Read More

Today’s Herald Sun editorial sums up well the concerns many parents will have about the new “Respectful Relationships” program to be made compulsory in all Victorian state schools from next year: “Many parents will be ... Read More

Among the many media reports on yesterday's Family Violence Royal Commission report, the front page of today's Herald Sun sums it up well - "Time for Action". The government has made a big investment in ... Read More

Today’s Sunday Age reports on the disgraceful cuts to family violence programs being made by the Victorian Labor government. At the same time as Daniel Andrews announced he would spend $40 million on a Royal ... Read More

At the same time as Daniel Andrews announced he would spend $40 million on a Royal Commission into Family Violence, Labor's policy costing document released two days before the election shows Labor plan to cut ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government came to office in 2010 determined to repair the damage caused by 11 years of the former Labor government’s soft on crime approach, its hostility towards the courts and the legal ... Read More

Strong penalties for attacks in breach of family violence orders Four year minimum jail term for perpetrators under strong new laws Napthine Government building a safer Victoria Family violence perpetrators who seriously injure their victim ... Read More

• New laws further protect victims of family violence • Ban on reporting criminal cases lifted, empowering victims and ensuring perpetrators can no longer hide behind laws intended to protect victims • Napthine Government building ... Read More

• New laws will further protect and empower victims of family violence and hold perpetrators to account • Ban on reporting cases will be lifted, ensuring perpetrators can no longer hide behind laws intended to ... Read More

• Victorian Coalition Government invests an additional $150 million to prevent violence against women and children • Wide-ranging new measures to address prevention, safety and accountability • Napthine Government building a safer Victoria A comprehensive ... Read More

New laws will further protect and empower victims of family violence and hold perpetrators to account Ban on reporting cases will be lifted, ensuring perpetrators can no longer hide behind laws intended to protect victims ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government is establishing Australia’s first Family Drug Treatment Court, to improve the safety and wellbeing of young children who have been removed from their parents as a result of alcohol and drug ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government will today introduce legislation into Parliament to create two additional criminal offences that will further protect children from sexual abuse. The introduction of these offences is the next stage in the ... Read More

Legislation introduced into Parliament today will reform child protection proceedings in the Children’s Court to better focus on the best interests of the child. The amendments to the Children, Youth and Families Act, jointly developed ... Read More

(The following is the full text of a letter to the editor published in The Age in edited form on 5 June 2013.) Dear Editor Your editorial's claim that the Coroners Court's systemic review of ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government has re-affirmed its commitment to address Koori disadvantage in the justice system with the signing today of the third Aboriginal Justice Agreement. The agreement embodies a commitment on behalf of various ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government has allocated funds in this year's Budget for a range of initiatives to support and strengthen Victoria's justice system and protect the most vulnerable Victorians. Attorney-General Robert Clark said Victoria Legal ... Read More

The Victorian Government has provided funds in today's State Budget to ensure people in rural and regional Victoria and people needing advice on family violence matters will continue to have access to help from Community ... Read More

The Victorian Coalition Government came to office in 2010 determined to repair the damage caused by 11 years of the former Labor government’s soft on crime approach, its hostility towards the courts and the legal ... Read More

• Coalition to support establishment of a new Rural and Farming Legal Centre • $2 million in funding to assist farmers and Victorians in rural areas • Napthine Government improving access to justice in country ... Read More

• Coalition to act on criminal infiltration of debt collection industry • New register of debt collectors to be established • Napthine Government building a safer Victoria A re-elected Napthine Coalition Government will legislate to ... Read More

Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark and NSW Attorney General Brad Hazzard today jointly announced the appointment of the inaugural members of the newly established Uniform Legal Services Council. “The Council will play a key role in ... Read More

Attorney-General Robert Clark today announced the appointment of two Assistant Freedom of Information (FOI) Commissioners, Mr Michael Ison and Ms Rachel Westaway. Earlier this year, the Government announced it would further strengthen the work of ... Read More

Attorney-General Robert Clark today announced the appointment of former Police Association Secretary, Mr Greg Davies APM, as Victoria’s first Commissioner for Victims of Crime. “As Commissioner, Greg Davies’ role will be to ensure that the ... Read More

New Privacy and Data Protection Act replaces Information Privacy Act Coalition mending the data protection holes left by Labor Napthine Government building a safer Victoria Victoria’s new Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 has come ... Read More

Range of new measures to strengthen Victoria’s integrity regime Delivers on Government’s commitment to respond to integrity body suggestions Builds on Coalition’s establishment of Victoria’s first anti-corruption commission The Victorian Coalition Government will introduce legislation ... Read More

Attorney-General Robert Clark today announced the reappointment of Michael McGarvie as Legal Services Commissioner for a further term of five years. “Mr McGarvie has a demonstrated commitment to upholding standards and integrity within Victoria’s legal ... Read More

New South Wales and Victorian Attorneys General Brad Hazzard and Robert Clark today announced the appointment of former head of the Australian Government Solicitor, Dale Boucher, as the inaugural Commissioner for Uniform Legal Services Regulation ... Read More

Legislation to strengthen working with children laws was passed by the Victorian Parliament last night. Under the new legislation, all work done by a minister of religion, regardless of religion, faith or congregation, will be ... Read More

The new Honorary Justices Act 2014 takes effect today, for the first time consolidating the law relating to Bail Justices and Justices of the Peace into a single Act. Attorney-General, Robert Clark, said the new ... Read More

Legislation brought into the Victorian Parliament today will help simplify a number of election procedures ahead of this year’s state election. Attorney-General Robert Clark said the changes would simplify enrolment and postal vote procedures, improve ... Read More

The Attorney-General Robert Clark today announced the appointment of Megan Boston to the Board of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission. Mr Clark said Ms Boston brought a wealth of experience to the ... Read More

Ministers of religion will be expressly required to hold working with children checks under reforms introduced into Parliament today. The new requirement will implement an important recommendation of the Betrayal of Trust report arising from ... Read More

The Coalition Government today introduced legislation into Parliament to strengthen the protection of individuals’ private information held by the Victorian public sector. The Bill merges the existing roles of Privacy Commissioner and the Commissioner for ... Read More

• Two Assistant FOI Commissioner positions • Education and training capacity strengthened The Victorian Coalition Government is further delivering on its commitment to strengthen freedom of information. The Coalition Government for the first time in ... Read More

• Victorian Coalition Government delivering improved court facilities • Additional staff to assist with personal safety intervention orders • Coalition Government building a better, safer Victoria The Victorian Coalition Government’s 2014-15 Victorian State Budget will ... Read More