Policy and Advocacy
Since our establishment in 1973, VALS has advocated for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities in Victoria.VALS informs and drives system change initiatives to improve justice outcomes for Aboriginal people in Victoria.
Through our policy and advocacy work, VALS is committed to:
- Promoting the rights of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples to empowerment, identity and culture
- Ensuring that Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples enjoy their rights, are aware of their responsibilities under the law and have access to culturally appropriate advice, assistance and representation
- Reducing the disproportionate involvement of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples in the criminal justice system
- Promoting review and amendment of legislation, policies and other practices that discriminate against Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
VALS works closely with fellow members of the Aboriginal Justice Caucus and ACCOs in Victoria, as well as other key stakeholders within the justice and human rights sectors to advocate for and achieve positive change.
To see some of our policy documents, briefing papers and submissions you can visit our Publications page here.
Public Intoxication
It is no longer a criminal offence in Victoria to be intoxicated in public.
Police cannot arrest, detain or fine you for this offence.
For decades, the offence of public intoxication has been applied in a discriminatory way to target and criminalise Aboriginal people – but being affected by alcohol in public is a health issue which requires a health response.
Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Nobody deserves to die in a prison cell.
In 2025, we are still fighting for our voices to be heard and for action to be taken to improve the lives of Aboriginal people as they continue to be overrepresented in the prison system.
Our people are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system, with many finding themselves unnecessarily detained due to lack of access to critical supports, discriminatory practices and ongoing system failures.
Raise the Age
For many years now, Aboriginal communities have campaigned for raising the age of criminal responsibility – always being strong and clear in our voice.
Evidence shows that the earlier a child is locked up in prison, the more the child is at risk of being entrenched in the criminal legal systems and re-criminalised later in life.
Our children deserve a system which isn’t broken and racist, politicians that care, early intervention and culturally safe, trauma informed prevention.
Police Accountability
Systemic racism impacts Aboriginal communities on a daily basis. Manifesting in ways where we see Aboriginal people over-policed, over-represented in police custody and under-served when they need assistance from police.
Victoria’s police oversight system falls drastically short – police investigating themselves will never deliver real accountability. In 2020-2021, 94.3% of complaints against police were investigated by Victoria police themselves or not investigated at all. Despite facing higher rates of police misconduct, Aboriginal people are less likely to make a formal complaint.
Bail Laws
Dangerous and discriminatory bail laws which are deeply harming Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are making it easier to needlessly lock away more people – before trial or sentencing.
Victoria’s punitive bail system has always disproportionately impacted Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, resulting in a dramatic increase in the number of people in prison who have not been sentenced.
VALS, alongside many others, are calling on the Victorian Government to implement Poccum’s Law in full