CORONAVIRUS CHANGES VICTORIAN JUSTICE SYSTEM

Coronavirus has changed dramatic issues and effected society throughout the world. It has damaged everyday lives, individual’s lifestyle, economies and income matters. And Victoria has been exposed by all these affairs. Victoria has become $6.5 billion in debt from the past financial year, 820 recorded deaths and over 500,000 jobs lost in Australia. But one unspoken issue is the changes to Victoria’s justice and law system.

Creating laws in Victoria begins with an idea then into a bill which is a draft of a proposed law, could be presented by a member of parliament, member of the public, interest groups, political parties or someone from court. Most bills are firstly discussed in the legislative assembly by a minister. The proposed law goes through three reading to show if the members of parliament will consider the law being created, and thorough definition of the new law. The same process will go through the Legislative council then approved by the governor to establish the new law. This whole process can take up to serval months.

Through the dramatic pandemic this has gone out the window.

With the urgency around lockdown and restrictions law can changed within 24 hours, evidently from the past 2 weeks and in the past 18 months in Victoria. These can be such things as visitors in a household, distance travel, face coverings or social events. Our Melbourne society is responsive and easily adaptable for new laws as they are broadcasted, shared through media and announced.

The difference between the coronavirus laws and other laws is that the COVID laws do not go through the usual process of three bill readings. This structure of our law making has been used for over 150 years, firstly in 1857. But now since the pandemic, we lack structure and order.

Does Victoria have a stable law-making system if we are going to change the process so quickly from such an important issue like a rapid spreading virus?

The answer is yes.

In very few circumstances when a state of emergency is declared for critical situations, law can be differed and made within hours. The state of emergency has been very significant and reliable towards coronavirus in Victoria as four lockdowns could have been multiplied by 10 if the COVID laws took months.

During these times, the Premier/acting Premier, health ministers and other ranges of leaders have meetings to analyze statistics, accuracy in restrictions to decide new restrictions.

In the first national quarantine in 2020, the lockdown was announced from Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister as quarantine rules should be dealt with federally. As the state of emergency was declared in majority of the states and territories, they were each allowed to make their own coronavirus restrictions to their differed issues.

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Published by Bonnie Chadwick