Contact: Kerry O’Shea, Public Affairs Manager Ph: 03 9607 9373 or 0401 107103 koshea@liv.asn.au
MEDIA RELEASE
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
LIV CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO WITHDRAW RUSHED
SERIOUS SEX OFFENDER LEGISLATION
The Victorian Government should withdraw the rushed Serious Sex Offenders (Detention and
Supervision) Bill 2009, according to the Law Institute of Victoria.
LIV President Danny Barlow said the LIV believed the Bill should be amended to comply with the
Government’s own Charter of Human Rights as well as the common law.
“The Police Minister and the Victorian Attorney have rejected the recommendations of the
Sentencing Advisory Council in drafting this flawed Bill,” Mr Barlow said.
The SAC recommended in 2007 that a post sentence detention scheme should not be introduced
in Victoria. The SAC also recommended that, if such a scheme was to be introduced, it must
include legislative safeguards to protect against the arbitrary exercise of power to detain persons
after they have completed their sentence.
Mr Barlow said the government has not consulted with the LIV in drafting the Bill, and was pushing
it through the last sitting days of Parliament for the year.
“Any legislation which seeks to detain a person for three years without charge and conviction, but
for offences which might be committed in the future, must contain the most stringent safeguards to
limit the use of this draconian measure which offends the most basic and treasured of our legal
principles – the right to liberty of the person,” Mr Barlow said.
He urged the Opposition parties to unite to ensure the Bill is held over for next year to allow
informed consultation and produce a better Bill.
NEWS 
