Category Archives: Updates

Youthlaw’s platform: Victorian state election 2018

In a letter sent this week, Youthlaw calls on all candidates to consider the critical youth justice issues leading up to and beyond the upcoming Victorian election.

We urge candidates to back Youthlaw’s platform and the realistic solutions and evidence of what works to support all young people to have the opportunity to realise their potential.

Police complaints overhaul

We welcome the IBAC parliamentary committee report on the Victorian police complaints system, released on 4th September 2018 .

As you may know Youthlaw has been campaigning for independent investigation of police complaints, for many years  This year Youthlaw and many other CLCs made submissions & spoke to  the IBAC parliamentary committee .

Anti-consorting laws trample basic human rights

Anti- Association laws are currently being debated in the Vic Parliament .  The Vic gov’t got rid of consorting laws a decade ago – They were regarded as unfairly criminalising those whose only crime was to associate & socialise with people with a criminal reputation.

Victoria must independently investigate serious complaints of police misconduct

Disturbing footage and stories of police brutality, coming from the joint investigation by the Age and ABC, highlights the need for independent investigation of police misconduct complaints.

Many young people experience significant mistreatment by police and yet they are reluctant to make a complaint, said Ariel Couchman today, Director of Youthlaw, a state-wide legal centre for young people under 25.