Liberty Victoria supports the Supreme Court’s objective of minimising delay in the criminal justice system, particularly in the period between charge and the listing of trial.
However, Liberty’s view is that the Supreme Court’s current proposal will not be effective in reducing delays and may jeopardise the accused’s right to a fair trial.
Liberty Victoria is mindful of the profound, pervasive, often catastrophic impacts of family violence in Victoria, and the need to develop holistic and sustained strategies to prevent and reduce family violence. Our organisation’s core concern is maintaining a society in which people’s rights, freedoms and dignity are valued and protected.
Submitted by Liberty Victoria on Wed, 12/10/2016 - 12:47
State Government plans to jail more people will not make Victorians safer, rights group Liberty Victoria warned today.
"Practical experience of the criminal justice system has long shown that in many cases offenders who are imprisoned pose a greater risk to the community upon release due to the harmful effects of jail," said Liberty Victoria Vice President, Michael Stanton.
"That is especially the case with youthful offenders."
Liberty Victoria welcomed the opportunity to make this submission in relation to the Victorian Law Reform Commission’s (Commission) review of the Role of the Victims of Crime in the Criminal Trial Process (Review).
Central to the Commission’s review is the question: what should the role of the victim be in the criminal trial process? In relation to consideration of this question, the Commission has indicated that it will inform itself with respect to what can be learnt from practice and what can be learnt from theory.
