Contact: Kerry O’Shea, Public Affairs Manager Ph: 03 9607 9373 0401 107 103 koshea@liv.asn.au
MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 1 November 2010
LIV SURVEYS PARTIES ON JUSTICE ISSUES
Victorian political parties have been marked on eleven key justice issues in the lead up
to the State election by the Law Institute of Victoria.
This month’s Law Institute Journal contains exclusive opinion pieces by Attorney-
General Rob Hulls; Shadow Attorney-General Robert Clark and Greens Justice
spokesperson Sue Pennicuik.
LIV President Steven Stevens said it was pleasing to see that all parties had been
prepared to show where they stood on key justice issues.
“We surveyed the parties on their responses to key issues including funding legal aid;
protecting rights; the Charter of Human Rights; improving access to justice in regional
Victoria and reforming injuries law. The results were a mixed bag, but readers can
judge for themselves where the parties stand,” Mr Stevens said.
The LIV is looking for specific commitments to increased funding of legal aid to restore
access to justice to large parts of the community who are currently denied legal
representation. It also seeks commitments to have regional and rural lawyers undertake
Government legal work.
The Law Institute Journal is distributed to about 14,000 lawyers and legal professionals.
The November LIJ includes extensive election coverage and commentary on the
responses and includes a scorecard showing how the LIV assess responses on our 11
key issues.
The survey of the parties follows the LIV’s Advocating Justice for All platform, which
called on Governments State and Federal to commit to policies of supporting access to
justice; protecting rights; advancing government transparency, access and
accountability and focusing on long-term policies to address the causes of crime rather
than short-term “fixes”.
This survey was designed to provide the State’s legal profession with informed analysis
in the lead up to the election.
“It brings justice issues to the forefront of the campaign by making the major and minor
political parties accountable in their commitments to these issues,” Mr Stevens said.
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