The Department of Justice and Community Safety has welcomed a report from the Victorian Law Reform Commission (VLRC) which made 51 recommendations for improvement of the State’s criminal justice system.
The Department said the Commission’s Committals Report made recommendations which sought to reduce trauma experienced by victims, ensure fair trial rights and improve efficiencies in the criminal trial process
“As the report notes, the preparation for trial of indictable offences through the committal process is a matter of significant importance for the criminal justice system,” the Department said.
“The fair and efficient management of the process impacts not only the accused, the prosecution and the victim, but also witnesses and the justice system more broadly,” it said.
“The Victorian Government is committed to implementing reforms to improve the committal and indictable pre-trial process in line with the policy intent of the VLRC’s recommendations.”
The Government has indicated it will consider the report and its recommendations carefully.
The Department said that as part of the consideration process, stakeholders would be consulted on specific proposals in the report.
It said the Report’s recommendations covered issues such as improving data collection and ensuring courts could share indictable case data; retaining and improving case management in the lower courts; ensuring early and ongoing involvement of experienced legal practitioners; reforming charging practices and disclosure requirements; and retaining cross examination in the lower courts.
The Department thanked the VLRC for the significant work that went into the Report and acknowledged the contributions of the individuals and organisations who provided input into the review.
The Commission’s 158-page Committals Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
