Latest news with #Vals
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Family violence and Koori court jobs among scores identified for cuts at Victorian magistrates court
The Victorian magistrates court is moving to shed more staff, with family violence roles and eight jobs in the Koori court among its latest proposed cuts, in a move the state's Aboriginal legal service has described as a 'slap in the face'. A 'change proposal' document, seen by Guardian Australia, shows the court is planning to cut 48 roles across its programs, services and support teams, to be replaced with just 35 new roles – a net loss of 13 staff. It follows plans to slash 24 jobs from the magistrates court's corporate services department, reported by Guardian Australia earlier this month, as part of the government's efforts to cut about 3,000 positions from the public service to reign in its budget. Some of the roles proposed for removal include the Koori court's manager, project manager, two team leaders and an administrative worker. The court, which has been running since 2002, provides an alternative setting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who plead guilty to low-level criminal offences. The Umalek Balit program, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people dealing with family violence matters, would also lose three senior staff – its principal practitioner, practice manager and women's practice follows the government's introduction of tougher bail laws, which are expected to lead to an influx of new cases coming before the magistrates court. Ali Besiroglu, head of legal services at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (Vals), said he was 'shocked and dismayed' by the plan to cut staff at the Koori court. Related: What the case of a young man accused of violent crimes reveals about Victoria's new bail laws 'At a time when we are expecting a significant rise in the number of Aboriginal people being denied bail under harsher new bail laws, maintaining culturally capable legal assistance through the Koori court is more critical than ever.' Besiroglu said access to the court was protected under Victoria's charter of human rights and that cutting staff was a 'direct attack' on those rights and a 'profound act of disrespect' to the elders involved. He also said Vals had been calling for the Koori court's powers to be expanded to include bail hearings, which made the proposed cuts a 'slap in the face'. 'These cuts will have devastating impacts on First Nations communities, making the criminal legal system even more culturally unsafe at a time when the number of First Nations people being held on remand is expected to rapidly increase,' Besiroglu said. The plan includes merging the existing teams into a new 'Koori justice team', which would handle the design, oversight and improvement of court programs and cultural support for First Nations people. Only two new roles would be created under this change. Thirteen jobs related to family violence services are also set to be cut, with the court pointing to the recent completion of 12 specialist family violence courts across the state as the reason. The document, dated 9 April and proposing a 1 July start, admits staff numbers would drop. It said the court would manage with 'reprioritisation' of work, 'streamlining' tasks and 'removing duplication'. It added that the changes 'come at a time when the Victorian public sector is facing fiscal challenges' and the new structure would be more 'sustainable'. The shadow attorney general, Liberal MP Michael O'Brien, said the proposal was 'reckless and shortsighted' and should not go ahead. 'With the supposed 'tougher' bail laws now in force, we know there will be even more demand on our courts. Cutting another 13 vital staff, on top of the 24 lost earlier this month, will only make it harder for the justice system to keep up,' O'Brien said. 'The hardworking staff at the magistrates court deserve better, and Victorians deserve a court system that is properly resourced to deliver justice swiftly and fairly.' A court spokesperson said in a statement it was committed to cultural safety and maintaining Koori family violence expertise in the courtroom, which 'is not being reduced as part of the proposed changes'. It said the changes were still only proposals and that staff were encouraged to take part in the consultation process. The spokesperson said the court 'is proposing some organisational changes aimed at positioning the court to continue to be effective in our service to the people of Victoria and deliver on our strategic goals, while responding to the current fiscal environment'. A Victorian government spokesperson said the court was responsible for determining staffing arrangements and 'they advise there will be no cut to court-based frontline staff who deliver Aboriginal-specific programs – nor will there be any diminished services'.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Family violence and Koori court jobs among scores identified for cuts at Victorian magistrates court
The Victorian magistrates court is moving to shed more staff, with family violence roles and eight jobs in the Koori court among its latest proposed cuts, in a move the state's Aboriginal legal service has described as a 'slap in the face'. A 'change proposal' document, seen by Guardian Australia, shows the court is planning to cut 48 roles across its programs, services and support teams, to be replaced with just 35 new roles – a net loss of 13 staff. It follows plans to slash 24 jobs from the magistrates court's corporate services department, reported by Guardian Australia earlier this month, as part of the government's efforts to cut about 3,000 positions from the public service to reign in its budget. Some of the roles proposed for removal include the Koori court's manager, project manager, two team leaders and an administrative worker. The court, which has been running since 2002, provides an alternative setting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who plead guilty to low-level criminal offences. The Umalek Balit program, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people dealing with family violence matters, would also lose three senior staff – its principal practitioner, practice manager and women's practice manager. Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter It follows the government's introduction of tougher bail laws, which are expected to lead to an influx of new cases coming before the magistrates court. Ali Besiroglu, head of legal services at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (Vals), said he was 'shocked and dismayed' by the plan to cut staff at the Koori court. 'At a time when we are expecting a significant rise in the number of Aboriginal people being denied bail under harsher new bail laws, maintaining culturally capable legal assistance through the Koori court is more critical than ever.' Besiroglu said access to the court was protected under Victoria's charter of human rights and that cutting staff was a 'direct attack' on those rights and a 'profound act of disrespect' to the elders involved. He also said Vals had been calling for the Koori court's powers to be expanded to include bail hearings, which made the proposed cuts a 'slap in the face'. 'These cuts will have devastating impacts on First Nations communities, making the criminal legal system even more culturally unsafe at a time when the number of First Nations people being held on remand is expected to rapidly increase,' Besiroglu said. The plan includes merging the existing teams into a new 'Koori justice team', which would handle the design, oversight and improvement of court programs and cultural support for First Nations people. Only two new roles would be created under this change. Thirteen jobs related to family violence services are also set to be cut, with the court pointing to the recent completion of 12 specialist family violence courts across the state as the reason. The document, dated 9 April and proposing a 1 July start, admits staff numbers would drop. Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion It said the court would manage with 'reprioritisation' of work, 'streamlining' tasks and 'removing duplication'. It added that the changes 'come at a time when the Victorian public sector is facing fiscal challenges' and the new structure would be more 'sustainable'. The shadow attorney general, Liberal MP Michael O'Brien, said the proposal was 'reckless and shortsighted' and should not go ahead. 'With the supposed 'tougher' bail laws now in force, we know there will be even more demand on our courts. Cutting another 13 vital staff, on top of the 24 lost earlier this month, will only make it harder for the justice system to keep up,' O'Brien said. 'The hardworking staff at the magistrates court deserve better, and Victorians deserve a court system that is properly resourced to deliver justice swiftly and fairly.' A court spokesperson said in a statement it was committed to cultural safety and maintaining Koori family violence expertise in the courtroom, which 'is not being reduced as part of the proposed changes'. It said the changes were still only proposals and that staff were encouraged to take part in the consultation process. The spokesperson said the court 'is proposing some organisational changes aimed at positioning the court to continue to be effective in our service to the people of Victoria and deliver on our strategic goals, while responding to the current fiscal environment'. A Victorian government spokesperson said the court was responsible for determining staffing arrangements and 'they advise there will be no cut to court-based frontline staff who deliver Aboriginal-specific programs – nor will there be any diminished services'.
The Guardian
02-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
A ‘Sam Kerr clause' and long jail terms: Victoria passes tough new anti-vilification and social cohesion laws
The Australian state of Victoria has passed laws to crack down on hate speech, which include a so-called 'Sam Kerr clause' to prevent the harsh new penalties from being used to punish the people they are intended to protect. Those found guilty of serious vilification offences, such as inciting hatred or making physical threats, will face up to five years in prison after the 'anti-vilification and social cohesion' bill passed state parliament on Wednesday. Its a significant increase from previous vilification offences, which were rarely prosecuted and carried a maximum penalty of just six months. The laws also expand existing protection against hate speech – previously limited to race and religion – to include disability, gender identity, sex and sexual orientation. To secure the bill's passage through parliament, the Victorian Labor government struck a deal with the Greens to add several safeguards, including requiring police and the courts to consider the 'social, historical, and cultural context' when making decisions about vilification in both civil and criminal cases. It was referred to as the 'Sam Kerr clause' during the debate, said Animal Justice party MP Georgie Purcell, who supported the amendment. Kerr, a star of Australia's national women's football team and striker for Chelsea FC, was found not guilty of racially aggravated harassment by a London court in February after calling Metropolitan police officer 'fucking stupid and white'. Kerr's comments, made in January 2023, came after officers doubted her claims of being 'held hostage' in a taxi, sparked debate about free speech and race, especially in the UK where there have been several high-profile cases involving people of colour being charged with racially aggravated offences. 'We recently saw in the Sam Kerr trial the way that laws designed to prevent vilification and discrimination can be weaponised against their intended purpose,' Purcell said. 'It was important to many of us on the crossbench that these new laws were implemented to be accessible for the communities who need them while also not being exploited.' Greens MP Gabrielle de Vietri said the clause will capture power imbalances and prevent misuse against over-policed communities. 'We know that First Nations and marginalised communities are disproportionately and unfairly targeted by police,' she said. 'That's why we fought really hard for these critical changes that protect people experiencing systemic injustice and safeguard these laws from being misused to criminalise people who are already overpoliced.' The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (Vals) had warned that without safeguards, the state's new hate speech laws could result in an Aboriginal person being criminalised for actions 'that challenge oppressive systems and those in positions of power'. Vals said the Greens amendment would codify the principles from existing federal case law established in McLeod v Power, where a federal court in 2003 dismissed a racial vilification claim made by a white prison officer after an Aboriginal woman called him 'white'. 'Victoria's new anti-vilification laws, when implemented correctly, should protect our people from further criminalisation when speaking up against injustice,' Vals' chief executive, Nerita Waight, said. 'As we saw in both the case of Sam Kerr and also McLeod v Power, their experiences of racialised power imbalances that dehumanised them and their needs caused them to speak out.' Sign up to Afternoon Update: Election 2025 Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key election campaign stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The Greens also successfully negotiated to ensure there was third-party oversight of convictions, with police required to obtain consent from the Director of Public Prosecutions before proceeding with charges. Religious exceptions contained in the bill were also narrowed to 'prevent the vilification of LGBTQIA+ and other marginalised groups'. The Coalition opposed the bill, disagreeing with the legal test applied to the civil laws, which asks whether a 'reasonable person with the protected attribute' would consider the conduct hateful. Shadow attorney general, Michael O'Brien, argued that the test should simply be whether a 'reasonable person' would consider the conduct hateful. O'Brien warned that Victorians were now 'at risk of being sued for expressing honestly held views that a very small group may find severely ridiculing or seriously contemptuous'. The bill's passage marks the conclusion of a five-year process that included a parliamentary inquiry and community consultation. The issue gained renewed prominence amid rising antisemitism and the firebombing of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea last year. The Victorian state premier, Jacinta Allan, said the changes had the support of Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh groups as well as advocates for women, people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people. 'We want to see Victoria continue to be a place where you are safe, a place where you are free from hate, no matter who you love, whoever you pray to, however you identify,' she said. 'If there is any hint of that, then police have strengthened powers to crack down on hate as a crime.' The criminal provisions of the bill will come into effect in September with civil aspects to follow in June 2026.
