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In the face of criticism over its “tough on crime” policy, the Victorian government has invested additional resources into courtrooms.
The Victorian Labor government celebrated the record-high number of bail refusals and revocations by funding the expansion of remote custody courts (RCCs) to Geelong, Broadmeadows, Dandenong, and Ringwood.
It has also added bail and remand courts (BaRC) to Melbourne Magistrates Court, allowing more cases to be heard seven days a week, up until 9pm, and with increased capacity on Saturdays and public holidays.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny said: “Victorians expect community safety to come first – that’s exactly what we’re delivering.
“Our tougher bail laws are working, and we’re backing our courts with more resources to make sure offenders are held to account sooner.”
After the state government’s sweeping new bail laws were introduced late last year, legal organisations were quick to criticise them as unjust, dangerous, and discriminatory against First Nations people.
Human Rights Law Centre’s (HRLC) First Nations Justice director Maggie Munn said Labor had “shamefully turned its back on reforms” that came into effect after the preventable death of Veronica Nelson, a proud Gunditjmara, Dja Dja Wurrung, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta woman.
After being denied bail, Nelson died on the floor of a prison cell in January 2020 after days of repeatedly requesting medical assistance.
“These laws are a disaster waiting to happen, and are part of a disturbing trend across the country towards regressive policies that are putting more First Nations people behind bars and driving up the number of untried and unsentenced people in prison,” Munn said.
In a joint statement, the Victorian Bar and Criminal Bar Association of Victoria said the denial of bail amounts to the implementation of a punishment on an individual prior to any finding of guilt.
The associations added that community safety in the medium and long term was best achieved through diversion, achieved by the proper funding of education, treatment, and support services for young people.
“Any bail considerations involving a young offender must weigh the risk that incarceration can diminish the prospects of rehabilitation.
“This risk increases with the length of any delay to the matters being finalised in the courts,” the associations said.
In a speech delivered at the 2025 Australian Legal Convention, Supreme Court of Queensland’s Justice Lincoln Crowley said governments have sought to “outdo each other and toughen crime” without considering the effects this has on First Nations people.
Legal bodies were equally disappointed with the state government’s “adult time for adult crime” legislation, which increased the likelihood of jail sentences and increased the maximum length of those sentences for youth offenders.
The Australian Lawyers Alliance said it was “very alarmed”.
Criminal justice spokesperson Greg Barns SC said: “The proposed new laws will not work to rehabilitate or deter children from future criminal behaviour. If anything, they will cause further trauma and entrench young people into cycles of offending.”
