Bail Reform is Urgently Needed in Victoria
Today VALS and more than three dozen human rights and law groups called on the Andrews Government to reform their draconian bail laws. Read the letter here. Find a petition of experts here. You can listen to ABC’s radio coverage here. You can read the ABC Online article here.
Andrews Government funding failure forces freeze on intake of new clients at VALS
Due to the funding decisions of the Andrews Government in the Victorian Budget 2021/22, VALS does not have the funding we need to recruit new lawyers and manage the increase in demand for our services. Our lawyers currently manage an average of 130 casefiles each, far more than the sector recommendation of 50. Without funding […]
STATEMENT: Victoria must abandon proposal to put police in classrooms
Fifteen years after the last police-in-schools scheme in Victoria was scrapped, Victoria Police are pushing to put officers in classrooms to rebuild their relationship with the community. VALS is calling on the Victorian Government to block any plans for an expensive PR exercise that will be bad for children’s welfare and come at the cost […]
Statement from Patricia Lamont
Quotes Attributable to Patricia Lamont. “This process has already taken so long and I am continually forced to fight for the justice my daughter and I deserve.” “I only found out about my daughter’s death after Police messaged me on Facebook and then came around to my house.” “I didn’t know she had been in […]
STATEMENT: Victoria must raise the age of criminal responsibility immediately as the federal government process stalls
23 April 2021 At the Meeting of the Attorneys-General, on 31 March 2021, a decision was made to engage in discussions regarding raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility out-of-session. After almost 4 years deliberating on this issue, and hindering reform that is urgently needed, the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department has decided that raising the […]
Coronial Inquest into death of Veronica Marie Nelson to examine healthcare in Victorian prisons and bail laws
Today the Coroner postponed the date of the Inquest into the death of Veronica Marie Nelson. The Inquest will now commence on 26 April 2022. The Coroner also provided the parties a further opportunity to make submissions regarding expert evidence and outstanding requests for evidence. Veronica Marie Nelson was a strong Gunditjmara, Dja Dja Wurrung, […]
Unlocking Victorian Justice – Webinar 2
Aboriginal Community Justice Reports Project: Improving sentencing outcomes and reducing overincarceration of Aboriginal people Wednesday 10 March, 9am – 10.15am registration Link – Click here VALS invites you to the launch of the Aboriginal Community Justice Reports Project, which aims to improve sentencing processes and outcomes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in the […]
Unlocking Victorian Justice series
OPCAT: An opportunity to prevent the ill-treatment, torture and death of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody Wednesday 3 March, 9am – 10am Registration Link – Click here This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. However, since this watershed report was handed down, at least […]
Grill’d Local Matters initiative
Every vote helps us We are participating in the Grill’d Local Matters initiative for the month of February 2021. 100% of the donation money we receive from Grill’d will be used for VALS initiatives. Head to Grill’d Northland Shopping Centre. Every burger you buy you receive a token to put in the donation jar for […]
VALS strongly opposes preventative detention forming part of the COVID-19 response
VALS strongly opposes preventative detention forming part of the COVID-19 response VALS emphasises that any deprivation of liberty, even during a public health emergency, must not be arbitrary. The Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) states that a ‘person must not be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention.’ Early on in the […]