The Victorian Bar and Criminal Bar Association of Victoria (CBA) are deeply concerned that the proposed changes to bail laws may adversely impact young people in a manner not to the long-term benefit of the community. Bail is an integral component of a fair and just criminal law system. The denial of bail does in ...

The CBA has released the following statement regarding the Justice Legislation Amendment (Committals) Bill 2024. This week, the Victorian Government introduced a Bill into Parliament that is designed to abolish committal hearings. The CBA strongly opposes these reforms and supports the retention of committal hearings and particularly having the ability to cross-examine witnesses. A committal ...

The CBA Committee and Members congratulate the Honourable Justice Kerri Judd on her appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, effective 17 September 2024. We also congratulate Brendan Kissane KC, who has been appointed to replace Justice Judd as Director of Public Prosecutions and Diana Piekusis KC, on her appointment as Chief ...

The Victorian Bar, the Criminal Bar Association of Victoria and the Children’s Court Bar Association, are disappointed that the Victorian Government has abandoned its previous commitment to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 14 by 2027. In doing so it has resiled from its own carefully considered reform that was the ...

The Criminal Bar Association respectfully disagrees with the comments made by Mr Silbert KC. The CBA notes that First Nations Australians are over-represented in the criminal justice system.  Our members support the practice of expressing acknowledgement of country as an appropriate mark of respect for First Nations people. We recognise that First Nations people continue ...

The Criminal Bar Association is concerned by the decision of the Victorian Government not to implement proposed bail reforms for children. The changes previously proposed were intended to make bail laws fairer for children who are accused of committing criminal offences. In addition to failing to introduce previously forecast reforms, the government has now announced ...

The County Court of Victoria’s main entrance at 250 William St, Melbourne will be closed from 3-15 January 2024 for important repairs. To enter the Court to the front lobby area, please use the alternative entrance located on Lonsdale Street, next to the Court’s carpark.  Please use the escalator to access the courtrooms on levels 1 and 2. To ...

CBA Members Update Following our recent AGM, the new CBA Committee for 2024 is constituted by: Sally Flynn KC – Chair Jason Gullaci SC – Vice Chair Abbie Roodenburg – Secretary Morgan Brown – Treasurer Sharon Lacy SC Paul Smallwood Amanda Burnard Felicity Fox Amit Malik Alexander Patton Zubin Menon Jo Swiney  Christopher Wareham Jim Shaw  ...

The Victorian Criminal Bar Association supports the proposal to amend the Australian Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the First Peoples of Australia by the establishment of the Voice. As the Uluru Statement from the Heart recognised: Proportionally, we are the most incarcerated people on the planet. We are not an innately ...

Sir David Carruthers, the Implementation Monitor of the Police Informants Royal Commission, has requested the Criminal Bar’s participation in a process about to commence to review the implementation of recommendations relating to disclosure by the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants. The review will use a case study approach that focuses on the ...