Victoria’s courts have been put in an invidious position as a result of the failure of Daniel Andrews and his Attorney-General, Jill Hennessy, to appropriately manage the ever-growing backlog of serious criminal trials.
With no prospect of criminal jury trials starting before Christmas, the delays in listing a trial date are now stretching out for years.
When considering an application for remand by an accused, the length of time on remand is a significant factor that the courts must consider. This means these current delays are creating a substantial risk to community safety.
The Pusey decision will rightly cause enormous anger in the Victorian community, including amongst the broader Victoria Police family.
This decision also raises legitimate questions about how effectively Victoria’s justice system is currently operating.
Once it is safe to do so, Victoria’s courts need innovative solutions to get the justice system moving, including considering January sittings for the County and Supreme courts.
Justice delayed, is justice denied.
