Peter Dutton is using his God-like powers to block refugees and asylum seekers from accessing government-funded, income support, public healthcare and safe housing. We are calling on Peter Dutton to #liftthebar and protect these vulnerable people during a public health emergency.

Liberty Victoria strongly condemns the serious breach of privacy by Victoria Police that has led to images of a former AFL player being published by the media and circulated online. 

Victorians should feel confident that their privacy will be protected by Victoria Police when they interact with police.

The release of the photos, which include a mug shot and photographs of sensitive Victoria Police records, is a serious violation of Laidley’s human rights, and will likely impact public confidence in Victoria Police’s approach to privacy. 

 Last week the Victorian Government promised that changes to rental laws would allow renters affected by COVID-19 to more easily move out of their rental properties. 

The emergence of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed all our lives in ways we could never have imagined. Through swift and decisive action on physical distancing and movement restriction, the Federal and Victorian governments seem to have steered us away from the catastrophic situations currently playing out elsewhere in the world. We are very thankful that we seem to have avoided the worst.

But we cannot become complacent. We cannot afford to allow our freedom and privacy to be curtailed by government to such an extent that we will not be able to claw it back.

Liberty Victoria is very concerned about the arrest of one person and the issuing of fines totalling $43,000 to those engaged in a “car convoy protest” on Good Friday outside the Mantra Hotel in Preston, which is holding refugees and people seeking asylum (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-10/coronavirus-easter-victorians-told-to-stay-home-this-week

Liberty Victoria supports and applaud the efforts of government and medical experts at all levels working to take urgent action to save lives and protect our community.  We acknowledge that extraordinary steps are required to meet an extraordinary crisis.  We will continue our role in protecting and defending human rights and civil liberties by monitoring the introduction and enforcement of measures during this time. 

Liberty Victoria joins the 119 Criminal and Legal Practitioners to call for humane decarceration during the COVID-19 pandemic. You cannot social distance in a cramped prison.

Humane decarceration during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In order to preserve human rights and further protect public health we the undersigned are calling on the Victorian Government to release the following class of prisoners:

1. Elderly or immunosuppressed prisoners;

2. Prisoners serving sentence for non-violent offending;

In light of the developing COVID-19 pandemic, Liberty Victoria supports calls from more than 370 lawyers, academics and advocates to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the Australian criminal justice system, especially prisons  -and youth detention centres (see 

In light of the developing COVID-19 pandemic, Liberty Victoria supports calls from more than 370 lawyers, academics and advocates to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the Australian criminal justice system, especially prisons and youth detention centres (see 

Sentencing Amendment (Emergency Worker Harm) Bill 2020

Liberty Victoria is strongly opposed to the Sentencing Amendment (Emergency Worker Harm) Bill 2020 (“The Bill”).