separation of powers

Liberty Victoria welcomes government’s assisted dying announcement

Human rights group Liberty Victoria applauds the Andrews government for taking a strong and principled stance on the right to die with dignity. 

However, while welcoming that announcement, Liberty is dismayed at a recent flurry of announcements on justice reforms, which are reactionary, ill-considered and prone to gross abuse. 

The government’s latest step to remove from judicial oversight the police force’s potential to abuse the taking of DNA samples is condemned.

Crimes Amendment - Carjacking and home invasion - Bill 2016

Liberty Victoria is deeply concerned about the gradual erosion of judicial discretion in sentencing and the move towards mandatory and/or more prescriptive models of sentencing. Part of that concern stems from the need for the legislature to carefully protect the separation of powers so that a strong and independent judiciary is able to ensure that justice is done in the individual case. 

The Bill should be recognised for what it is – a significant threat to judicial discretion, the separation of powers and the rule of law.