Hulls’ attack on judges can’t hide Labor’s inaction on justice

Rob Hulls should not be using today’s speech to the Judicial College of Australia as an excuse for Labor’s inaction or to attack judicial independence, Shadow Attorney-General Robert Clark said today.

Under Rob Hulls, Victoria has some of the biggest court backlogs of any state in the nation, and they are getting worse.

“There is something wrong when Victoria’s bulging courts cannot cope with soaring crime levels,” Mr Clark said.

“Court IT upgrades have been bungled, implementation of the sex offence changes has been bungled, alleged drug traffickers are free to roam the streets on bail because of delays to trial start dates. Delays of two, three or four years in serious cases coming to trial are becoming all too common.

“Under Labor, Victoria’s court system is also undermined by inadequate and ineffective sentences and a revolving door approach where repeat offenders are given a series of community orders or good behaviour bonds.

“Judges do their best to apply the law and use the tools they have been given, but responsibility for ineffective sentences lies squarely with the government, which decides the laws judges are required to apply and fails to provide the corrections and backup services needed to implement the courts’ sentences.

“Today’s speech by Rob Hulls looks like a calculated attack on judges to divert attention from the government’s failings, and it risks deterring good people from accepting appointments as judges.

“His description of judges as public servants appears to send the signal that judges are under Rob Hulls’ thumb, added to them already being treated more like one of the Department’s administrative units than as an independent third arm of government.

“Rob Hulls has already attacked the independence of public bodies, and appointed acting judges who are dependent on his grace and favour to obtain superannuation or a further term of office, and for their volume of work even during their term as an acting judge.

“Rob Hulls has also axed the position of independent chair of the Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, tried to take complete control of the appointees to the Victoria Law Foundation, and appointed his former press secretary as one of those members.

“Judges should certainly be accountable for their performance and conduct, but should not be under the thumb of Rob Hulls.

“Rob Hulls’ rush to impose new scrutiny mechanisms on judges is in stark contrast to his refusal to support an independent, broad-based anti-corruption commission which would impose similar scrutiny on politicians.

“In Rob Hulls’ world, if a judge is rude, boorish or offensive, there should be an independent complaint mechanism, but if Rob Hulls is rude, boorish or offensive, Victorian families just have to put up with it,” Mr Clark said.