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 …
Tag: news
New member of the team
You may have noticed our posts were fewer and far between in September. Well, I've been busy ...Luke Manhattan was born this week. This photo was taken when he was three hours old.Welcome to the world, little man.
Changes to VLA eligibility
Victoria Legal Aid have been reviewing their grants procedure recently. We wrote about some changes back here.From tomorrow, people charged in the Magistrates’ Court with traffic offences under the Road Safety Act 1986 will only be eligible for a grant of legal assistance if they have a psychiatric or intellectual disability or an acquired brain …
Crime tax
The Offender Levy takes effect in Queensland from today.Apart from a number of specified exceptions (like Commonwealth offences, and breaches of bail and suspended sentences) all adult offenders in that state will now be obliged to pay an additional amount, separate from their sentence and enforced by the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (effectively, the sheriff). …
VLA fact sheets
Victoria Legal Aid are reducing the number of cases their duty solicitors will become involved in at sittings of the Magistrates' Court. The changes to their criteria are discussed here.They say on their website:From July 2012 duty lawyer services in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria will prioritise people in custody, and people who cannot afford …