Liberty Victoria strongly opposes the abolition of de novo appeals. These significant reforms have been introduced without evidence-based support. The last investigation in 2006 by the Law Reform Committee of the Parliament of Victoria recommended that de novo appeals should be retained. Since then, there has been no further research by Parliament or the Victorian Law Reform Commission into the de novo appeals system.

Liberty Victoria is strongly opposed to the amendments to the Corrections Act 1986 (Vic) (the Act) made by the Corrections Amendment (Parole) Act 2018 (Vic) (the amendments).

The effective imposition of imprisonment for life without parole constitutes cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and breaches fundamental human rights norms. People can rehabilitate. These amendments deny a class of offenders the basic human dignity of mercy, individual justice, and rehabilitation.

Liberty Victoria is essentially supportive of the reforms contained in the Bill. We note that there has been a significant expansion in the powers and activities of Australia’s national security and intelligence organisations over the past two decades, without a corresponding increase in review or scrutiny of such bodies.