Hulls Must Act Swiftly on Civil Justice

The Attorney-General must act swiftly in response to today’s Civil Justice Review Report by the Victorian Law Reform Commission.

“Victorians deserve better than the Attorney-General’s leisurely approach to important issues, for example his shameful delay in responding to the Commission’s report on family violence,” Shadow Attorney-General Robert Clark said today.

“Mr Hulls received the family violence report in December 2005, but his promised Family Violence Act has still not been introduced, despite the 150,000 Victorians each year who are victims of family violence,” Mr Clark said.

Today’s report contains a wide range of recommendations intended to help tackle the long court waiting lists that have built up under Labor, including several which deserve in- principle support such as:

· A more active role for judges in managing the progress of cases;
· Reforms on compulsory disclosure of information to each other by the parties; and
· Greater control by judges over expert evidence.

“February’s Statement of Government Intentions, which was supposed to list the government’s intended legislation for 2008, showed that several of the Attorney-General’s Bills including a proposed Criminal Investigation Powers Bill and a Criminal Offences Bill are not likely to be introduced until 2009,” Mr Clark said.

“Only yesterday, the Brumby Government announced proposed changes to the law on legal claims involving asbestos, yet legislation will not be introduced until later this year.

“Mr Hulls received the Commission’s Civil Justice report on 4 March, giving him plenty of time to develop the Government’s response and map out a timeline for the introduction of relevant legislation.

“Yet all the Attorney-General said today was that the Report would assist in yet another “long-term vision” statement he would release later this year.

“Justice delayed is justice denied, and Mr Hulls clearly prefers to put off until tomorrow what he should be doing today,” Mr Clark said.