Coalition Government strengthens the justice system

The Victorian Coalition Government’s 2013-14 Victorian State Budget provides approximately $150 million in new funding to strengthen and support Victoria’s justice system.

Attorney-General Robert Clark said this year’s budget boosts services for victims of crime, provides additional resources for the courts and Victoria Legal Aid, and adds to the capacity of Victoria’s asset confiscation regime to target organised crime.

“The Coalition Government is providing new funding totalling $16.5 million over the next four years to expand the Victims of Crime Helpline and Victims Assistance and Counselling Program (VACP),” Mr Clark said.

Victims of crime will be able to access the Helpline from 8am to 11pm on Saturdays and Sundays, in addition to the current 8am to 11pm weekday hours. The VACP will also provide support packages for more than 6,000 additional crime victims each year.

Victoria Legal Aid will receive additional ongoing funding totalling $13.7 million over the next four years.

“Today’s announcement is on top of the additional base funding of more than $26 million a year provided in the 2012-13 Victorian Budget, after the previous Labor Government failed to provide ongoing funding,” Mr Clark said.

“The Coalition Government has again called on the Commonwealth Government to lift its share of legal aid funding, which has decreased dramatically since 1997 when Victoria and the Commonwealth each contributed 50 per cent of public funding.”

Courts across Victoria will receive an additional $9.5 million to upgrade IT systems and court facilities, which were badly neglected by the previous Labor Government.

The court system will also receive an additional $47.7 million over four years to enable courts to hear more cases more quickly and to support on-going reforms, including funding for services to support courts in dealing with offenders with cognitive impairments.

A further $27.7 million in additional funding will be provided over four years to boost asset confiscation operations to seek out and seize proceeds of crime, including activities targeting serious and organised crime.

The fines and infringements system will also be strengthened through $34.5 million to upgrade IT systems to support further reforms.

“The Coalition Government is able to strengthen our justice system as a result of responsible economic management, enabling us to deliver better services for Victorians.”