Today the Law Institute sent out invitations to a meeting on Monday to discuss the further tightening of eligibility criteria for Legal Aid assistance.The LIV have been told that the following proposals are currently before the VLA Board for consideration: 1. That the eligibility threshold for summary crime be raised so that only those cases …
Month: November 2012
New Chief Magistrate
Back in October I mentioned that the current Chief Magistrate Ian Gray is to be appointed to the County Court with effect from 29 November 2012.The Attorney-General announced today that Peter Lauritsen will be the next Chief Magistrate from 29 November 2012.I mentioned in my earlier post that the new Chief Magistrate would need to …
Vehicle forfeiture provisions invalid?
The new-ish Chief Justice of South Australia recently delivered an interesting judgment about the SA vehicle forfeiture provisions, Bell v Police [2012] SASC 188. Because of the similarities with Victorian legislation, the case is bound to receive consideration here.In short, Kourakis CJ considered those provisions — found in the Criminal Law (Clamping, Impounding and Forfeiture …
Sentencing discounts
The Criminal Law (Sentencing) (Guilty Pleas) Amendment Bill 2012 (SA) caught my eye today. This bill recently passed the South Australian Parliament, and amends the Criminal Law (Sentencing) Act 1988 (SA).The legislation encourages sentencing discounts for early pleas of guilty, and provides proportional limits on the discounts that can be offered, depending on when the …
Legislation Watch: Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence and Other Matters) Bill 2012
Police Pursuit AmendmentsToday the Victorian government announced their intention to create a new offence for drivers who avoid stopping their car when the police want them to.The proposed offence is contained in the Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence and Other Matters) Bill 2012. The Explanatory Memorandum for it can be found here. A forced commencement …