A Victorian coroner has called for swift reform of bail laws when handing down his findings into the death of 37-year-old Aboriginal woman Veronica Nelson. Read more: Number of women on remand in Victoria soars due to outdated bail lawsRestrictive bail laws have been expanded in each jurisdiction across Australia. For example, an evaluation of a Victorian bail support program found it reduced reoffending, and every dollar spent on the program saved the community between $1.70 and $5.90. Read more: Victoria’s prison health care system should match community health careThe coroner’s report is a clarion call not only for the Andrews government, but all governments. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services recently called for all jurisdictions with “dangerous and discriminatory bail laws” to repeal those laws and instead create a presumption in favour of bail.

Source: The Guardian January 30, 2023 05:33 UTC