Crime laws will be put under scrutiny, as an under-pressure state government refuses to admit it got it wrong with a series of changes to bail.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan pulled the ripcord on a review into justice settings, including bail laws, on Tuesday as state parliament returned for 2025.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny and Police Minister Anthony Carbines have been tasked with the job, ahead of dual state by-elections in Werribee and Prahran on Saturday.
Ms Allan denied the move was linked to the poll in Werribee, where Labor is fighting to defend the seat in Melbourne’s outer west, or poor polling that showed Labor’s primary vote has slipped to a historic low of 22 per cent.
“This is because it’s unacceptable to me that too many working families, too many women and children, don’t feel safe and, as premier, I will act,“ she told reporters on Tuesday.
“I will listen to those concerns and take action to support the safety of Victorian families.“
No details were provided on the review’s terms of reference or when the ministers would come back with recommendations.
“I’m not going to stand here today ruling anything in or out,“ Ms Allan said.
Bail laws have been overhauled in the past two years.
In 2023, laws were passed to make it easier for low-level offenders to get bail after they were found to disproportionately impact women and Indigenous people.
More bail measures were enacted in late 2024 through a standalone youth justice bill, including making it an offence for adults and children to commit a serious offence while on bail.
A late government amendment ensured people would be kept in remand if they posed an “unacceptable risk“ of committing offences such as aggravated burglary, carjacking, dangerous driving or family violence.
While acknowledging the need for further changes, Ms Allan refused to concede it showed former attorney-general Jaclyn Symes had “stuffed up“.
“That is a nonsense question,“ she said.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the entire cabinet was responsible and questioned the timing of the review, suggesting it was a direct response to the by-elections and polling.
“The problem with Jacinta Allan is she was only interested in one thing, that’s protecting her own job,“ he said.
“They’ve come out now knowing they need to make changes to the Bail Act, and they’re trying to put it under the guise of a review.“
Statistics for the last year to September 30 show crime by children aged 10 to 17 reached its highest level in 15 years, with 23,810 incidents, up 17 per cent on the previous 12 months.
Several incidents involving youth offenders and bail have also captured media and public attention in recent years.
A 17-year-old boy was granted bail and had it revoked after being accused of killing 28-year-old William Taylor in a July crash at Burwood while joyriding in a stolen Jeep with five other teens.
GP Ashley Gordon, 33, died after a confrontation with two teenagers who allegedly broke into his house at Doncaster in Melbourne’s east in January 2024.
One of the teens was allegedly facing serious criminal charges.
In September 2023, a 14-year-old boy suffered life-altering injuries after he was abducted in Glen Huntly by a group of teens in a stolen car as he walked home from school.
The accused ringleader, a 14-year-old Frankston South boy, was charged with committing an indictable offence while on bail.
The state opposition wants the offence of committing an indictable offence while on bail reinstated, police vacancies filled and more crime prevention programs such as patrols.
“You don’t need a review, you need to act now,“ Mr Battin said.
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