Premier defends tough new bail laws as critics respond

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has defended her government’s bail laws after critics claimed the reforms were not evidence-based.

“After listening to Victorians, to victims of crime, to the advice of Victoria Police and to other representatives across the justice system, we needed to bring about a jolt to the system,” she told media.

“We are seeing too much of a pattern of behaviour.”

The new law, the Bail Amendment Bill, removes the principle of remand as a last resort for children and toughens bail tests for serious offences.

Indigenous rights groups have said the laws will lock away more people – particularly Aboriginal women and children.

“The Allan government has rammed through dangerous and discriminatory bail laws which will deeply harm Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and breach human rights,” a joint statement from rights groups said.

The mother of Veronica Nelson, an Aboriginal woman who died while remanded in custody, has condemned the new laws.

Aunty Donna Nelson told the Guardian her daughter’s death in custody “should never have happened” and that the government’s move “provides the licence for the police and courts to lock more of our people up”.

The Law Institute of Victoria said they were concerned about the removal of remand as a last resort.

“All the evidence shows that the earlier and longer a child interacts with the criminal justice system, the more likely they are to re-offend in the future,” it said.

In response Australian retailers said there had been a spike in retail crime, with incidents involving knives and blades in 2024.

Victoria recorded the largest jump in violent and threatening retail crime in 2024.