News

We have curated a library of essential resources that explore the complex dynamics of family violence and focus on how to work with victims and perpetrators in the courtroom.
 

Murder and manslaughter. The difference between them often leads to confusion and controversy in the community. The Supreme Court of Victoria’s award-winning podcast, Gertie’s Law, examines the offence of manslaughter in its latest podcast episode.

The Victorian Bar has announced the appointment of Amanda Utt as its new Executive Director.
 

The Victorian Government has announced the appointment of Rowena Orr QC as the next Solicitor-General, the state’s most senior legal adviser and advocate.
 

The Criminal Charge Book has been updated to include new statutory murder and sexual offence directions. We have also updated commentary to reflect practice developments concerning support dogs and to reflect cases on unchallenged exculpatory evidence.

Chief Justice Anne Ferguson has issued a joint jurisdictional statement on behalf of the Victorian Courts and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on easing of COVID-Safe settings.  

Supreme Court Justice Chris Beale has recently updated his Pocket Evidence Law resource to incorporate the recent decision of Snyder v DPP [2021] VSCA 96.

The College welcomes the release of the Review of Sexual Harassment in Victorian Courts. The report makes an important contribution to identifying the prevalence of sexual harassment, and the steps Victorian courts and VCAT can take to ensure they are safe and respectful workplaces.

This is a time for solemn reflection, as we acknowledge that there is still considerable change required to address the disproportionate number of First Nations people entering our justice system.

The Victorian Government has announced the appointment of Solicitor-General Kristen Walker QC as a judge of the Court of Appeal, commencing 3 May 2021.

The Sentencing Advisory Council has released its report on the number of people sentenced in 2019–20 for committing a serious offence while serving a community correction order.

The Sentencing Advisory Council has released seven new Sentencing Snapshots for serious offences including, murder, manslaughter and culpable driving causing death.