Courts
Sentencing, appeals, judgments and inquests from Victoria’s Magistrates’, County, Supreme, and Coroners courts, in plain English. Edited by Eliza Hartman.
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How Victoria Investigates Deaths in Care — and What Happens Next
When someone dies in aged care, disability accommodation or child protection, a quiet but powerful legal process begins. Here is…
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What Victoria’s Overdose Data Reveals — And What It Demands
Each year the Penington Institute's overdose report lays bare a preventable toll. Mei Calloway breaks down what the data consistently…
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Sealed from sight: how Victorian courts weigh suppression orders
When a judge seals a court file, the public loses a window into justice. VCN's chief courts reporter explains exactly…
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Inside Victoria’s Pill-Testing Trial: What the Data Showed
Victoria's Beyond the Pill program brought drug-checking services to music festivals for the first time. Here is how the trial…
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Community Correction Orders: What They Mean in Practice
CCOs keep thousands of Victorians out of prison each year — but what conditions apply, who monitors compliance, and what…
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The Sentencing Advisory Council: What It Does and Why It Matters
The Sentencing Advisory Council shapes how Victoria thinks about punishment — but most people have never heard of it. Here…
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The Court That Handles 90% of Victoria’s Criminal Cases
The Magistrates' Court of Victoria is the busiest court in the state. Here is how it works, what it handles,…
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Deaths in Custody: What Victoria’s Inquests Keep Finding
Victorian coroners keep making the same recommendations about deaths in custody. Tom Whitford examines why the pattern persists — and…
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Victoria’s Drug Courts Explained: A Second Chance or Soft Touch?
Victoria's Drug Courts offer eligible offenders treatment over prison — but who qualifies, how does the program work, and what…
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Magistrate counselled after swingers ‘playing with fire’ remarks
Victoria's judicial watchdog has recommended a magistrate be counselled after she made stereotyping remarks about people who attend swingers' events…
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