Liberty Victoria recognizes the significant value of committal proceedings and the role they play in ensuring adequate disclosure, promoting the early resolution of cases before the courts, minimizing impact on vulnerable witnesses and ultimately easing pressures on the criminal justice system. Such proceedings enable an accused person to be apprised of the case against them and assess the strength of the evidence, but also give the prosecutor an opportunity to properly evaluate the case that has been assembled.

For the following reasons, Liberty Victoria recommends the Bill not be passed, and the current automatic citizenship loss provisions be repealed. a. Citizenship loss provisions, both discretionary and automatic, are not an effective response to the threat of terrorism and also risk undermining efforts to combat radicalisation.  b. The citizenship loss current and proposed provisions and the operation of the Citizenship Loss Board represent a threat to the rule of law and basic civil liberties.  c. The legal threshold for Ministerial decision risks manifestly disproportionate consequences.