The Victorian Law Reform Commission consider the matters raised in the report regarding victim assistance

Implemented

Who is leading the change

Department of Justice and Community Safety

The Victorian Law Reform Commission consider the matters the Commission raised in this report in relation to the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal and the Victim Assistance Program in its Victims of Crime in the Criminal Trial Process review. To the extent that these matters do not fall within the terms of reference for that review, the Attorney-General should amend the terms of reference or ensure that a separate review of these matters is carried out.

The Attorney-General provided separate terms of reference to the Victorian Law Reform Commission (VLRC) to undertake the review and consider the matters raised by the Royal Commission into Family Violence in relation to the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal and Victims Assistance Program.

The Attorney-General subsequently extended the terms of reference for this review to consider how the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal operates more generally.
As part of an announcement of a victims’ package of reforms on 7 May 2017, the Government committed to extending the current VLRC reference regarding the way that the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT) engages with family violence victims to consider how to improve the experience of all people who engage with VOCAT. The extended terms of reference were provided to the VLRC on 7 July 2017. The VLRC released a consultation paper on the supplementary terms of reference in August 2017. Submissions to the consultation paper closed on 31 October 2017.

The review was tabled in Parliament on 19 September 2018.

Updated 18 May 2020