An elected Nationals and Liberals Government will strengthen Victoria’s justice system by creating a specialist Court of Criminal Appeal and giving Victorians greater transparency over sentencing outcomes.
The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, said Victorians deserved confidence that serious offenders were being held to account and that sentences reflected the seriousness of their offending.
“People across the Mildura electorate want a justice system that keeps the community safe and ensures serious offenders face appropriate consequences,” Ms Benham said.
“Our courts need to have the right structures and the right information to make sure serious criminal matters are dealt with consistently.
“Under our reforms, the existing Court of Appeal will be separated into a dedicated Court of Criminal Appeal and a Court of Civil Appeal, allowing specialist judges to focus on serious criminal matters.
“This will improve consistency in criminal appeals and help ensure sentencing outcomes reflect the intent of the laws passed by Parliament.”
The Liberal and Nationals will also strengthen the Sentencing Advisory Council and expand its SACStat database to provide Victorians with clearer information about sentencing outcomes.
For the first time, the database will include Children’s Court sentencing data, alongside more comprehensive information about sentencing ranges, trends and the time taken for courts to deliver judgments following a trial.
Ms Benham said greater transparency would help the community understand how sentencing laws were being applied in practice.
“Providing clear and accessible sentencing information will allow the community to better understand sentencing decisions and ensure there is greater accountability across the justice system.
“These reforms are about restoring confidence, improving consistency and making sure offenders are properly held to account.
“They will form part of our broader plan to tackle Victoria’s crime crisis, including Adult Crime, Adult Time, Break Bail, Face Jail and 3,000 additional police officers.”
