A tough new specialist Court of Criminal Appeal will be established to ensure sentences for serious offenders meet community expectations under a new commitment announced today by Jess Wilson’s Liberal and Nationals team.
Under Labor’s broken justice system, criminal offending is at record highs and emboldened offenders do not think there will be consequences for their actions.
As part of the Liberals and Nationals’ plan to restore community safety, a Jess Wilson-led government will split the existing Court of Appeal into two separate courts – a Court of Criminal Appeal and a Court of Civil Appeal – allowing additional judges specialising in criminal matters to be appointed to the new standalone Court of Criminal Appeal.
This new Court of Criminal Appeal will have broad oversight across Victoria’s courts to ensure sentences for serious crime match community expectations and give effect to tough new bail and sentencing laws that will be enacted prior to Christmas under a Liberal and Nationals Government.
The new court will apply specialist criminal law expertise to determine common law precedent based on new, stronger legislation.
Leader of the Opposition, Jess Wilson, said: “Under Labor, Victoria’s justice system is broken, but my team has a plan to fix it.
“Victorians have had enough of serious offenders repeatedly being let out on bail and getting nothing more than a slap on the wrist. It is time for a new approach.
“Our new criminal court will empower specialist criminal law judges to ensure sentencing of criminals meet community expectations.
“Each sentence they hand down will form part of case law going forward, helping to establish appropriate consequences for criminal actions.”
Shadow Attorney-General, James Newbury, said: “The community knows our justice system is broken and needs fixing. Part of that fix is to ensure that our court system is modern and meets the expectations of the community.
“By creating a Court of Criminal Appeal with specialist criminal law judges to determine common law precedent based on new, stronger legislation, we will ensure that our new tough laws see offenders punished properly when they commit crimes.
“Only our Liberal and Nationals team has a plan to end Labor’s crime crisis and restore community safety.”
