A call to arms

I'm on my way home from the Law Institute of Victoria meeting discussed here on Thursday. Properly described, it was an Extraordinary Meeting of the LIV's Criminal Law Section.Lawyers came from far and wide to express their concerns. The meeting tonight was Standing Room Only. Many asserted their staunchly-held belief VLA is moving in the …

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BA v The Queen [2012] VSCA 285: adducing evidence of a witness's bad character

The UEA represents only a partial codification of the rules of evidence. Knowing whether the Evidence Act 2008 covers the field on a topic, or just introduces an alternative statutory pathway to the admission or exclusion of evidence, isn't easy. The stated intention of the ALRC or VLRC is helpful, but not the final word …

Continue reading BA v The Queen [2012] VSCA 285: adducing evidence of a witness's bad character

BA v The Queen [2012] VSCA 285: adducing evidence of a witness’s bad character

The UEA represents only a partial codification of the rules of evidence. Knowing whether the Evidence Act 2008 covers the field on a topic, or just introduces an alternative statutory pathway to the admission or exclusion of evidence, isn't easy. The stated intention of the ALRC or VLRC is helpful, but not the final word …

Continue reading BA v The Queen [2012] VSCA 285: adducing evidence of a witness’s bad character

VLA funding

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 …

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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 …

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