News

Up-to-date news from Victoria Law Foundation

Our office is closed, but we’re still working

Following the recent developments in Victoria’s COVID-19 response, we have decided to close our office in Hardware Lane until further notice.

We're looking for a research consultant

Victoria Law Foundation's research team is about to undertake a new and large, complex piece of empirical research; the Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS) to discover what Victorians know about their justice system, its institutions and the role they see it play in their lives.

COVID-19 pandemic – Changes to VLF activities

We have made a number of changes to our program due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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New resources to help the legal assistance sector support LGBTIQ+ communities now available

Today, the LGBTIQ Legal Service released a new Toolkit for Community Legal Centres to assist them support LGBTIQ+ communities in a respectful and inclusive way.

Legal Laneway Breakfast opens the 2020 legal year

Over 500 members of the legal sector gathered in Hardware Lane this morning to celebrate the new legal year at the 17th annual Legal Laneway Breakfast.

VLF Chair recognised in Australia Day Honours

We are delighted to hear that Victorian Law Foundation chair the Honourable Hartley Hansen AM QC has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in this year’s Australia Day Honours.

Victoria Law Foundation grants to prioritise bushfire affected regions

Support for people in bushfire affected regions of Victoria will be prioritised in this year’s grants for Law Week events.

Free legal help for Victorian bushfire victims

If you’ve been affected by bushfires, free legal assistance is available through Disaster Legal Help Victoria.

What is the Sentencing Advisory Council?

We sat down with Chair, Professor Arie Freiberg, to hear about the work of the Sentencing Advisory Council and the factors that go into sentencing.

This year’s Knowledge Grants awarded

This funding will support community legal organisations to better understand their communities through improved data and information.

Administrative data – capturing the full impact of the legal assistance sector?

We're mapping the administrative data collected and used by Victoria’s civil justice sector. What data is being collected and does it capture or undersell their complex contribution?

The rights of people to make their own medical decisions

Reinforce and OPA produced two new brochures to highlight the importance of clear and respectful communication in medical situations.

The 2019 Law and You Forum explores suppression orders in Victoria

A highly distinguished panel of experts explored whether suppression orders are supporting or distorting justice for our 2019 Law and You Forum.

About the Adult Parole Board

We sat down with Chair of the Adult Parole Board, His Honour Peter Couzens, to hear first-hand what they do and the challenges involved.

Many Australians feel locked out of legal help

Most Australians think courts are inaccessible and lawyers are costly, complex and slow to resolve problems. These are the key findings of 'Law…What is it good for? How people see the law, lawyers and courts in Australia', the first research report from the Victoria Law Foundation.

Local workshop connects the courts with the African community to address concerns

Connecting magistrates and lawyers with members of the African community to address their concerns about the high incarceration rates of African young people in our legal system.

Preventing motor vehicle crime by young people

Gateway LLEN has launched new resources in partnership with Victoria Police to tackle the issue of car theft and culpable driving by young people.

Reflections from a former County Court judge

We sat down with former County Court judge Ms Jane Patrick to hear her insights and reflections on the role.

Watch the 2019 Law Oration

In his first major speech since 2017, the Honourable Justice Chris Maxwell AC, President of the Court of Appeal, explore...

Life as a barrister

We asked experienced barrister Nick Papas QC about his practice, some of his best and worst moments, and what it means t...

Victoria Law Foundation is building its research team

Victoria Law Foundation is delighted to announce two new appointments to our Research team. Dr Hugh McDonald will be j...

Law of contempt - does it need fixing?

Video of Law of contempt - does it need fixing? If you’re involved in court proceedings, it’s important to unde...

Cardinal George Pell – what next?

Video of Cardinal George Pell – what next? The next instalment in the legal saga that has mesmerised and shocke...

Law Week Law Talks 2019

We had a full house of 220 students attending from 12 schools, including some who had travelled from Hamilton. Law Week ...

The second Law Week podcast is out now!

Colourful characters, crime and consequence – law on the small screen is the second Law Week podcast by Victoria Law Fou...

Thanks from the Executive Director

Well, that’s a wrap! Law Week 2019 is done and I’d like to extend my warm thanks to everyone who came along to an event,...

Congratulations LGBTIQ Legal Service

The LGBTIQ Legal Service – part of the St Kilda Legal Service – is a finalist for Community Lawyer or Organisation of th...

Bringing the law to life for Warrnambool students

Video of Warrnambool Law Talks 2019 Last week over 230 students from eight regional schools attended our Regi...

The Law Week 2019 program is now live

We are thrilled to announce the Law Week 2019 event program is now available. There are over 200 events across the state...

Law Week Grants for 2019 have been awarded

Get ready for Law Week, a dynamic festival of events designed to help people explore the law in fun and informative ways...

The nuts and bolts of sentencing

There was intense media interest at Melbourne's County Court this morning as Chief Judge Peter Kidd sentenced Cardinal G...

Farewell dear friend - the Hon. Philip Cummins AM. Chair of the Victoria Law Foundation 2009 – 2014

It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of the Honourable Justice Philip Cummins AM. A much-loved frien...

Bendigo students get a Headstart for Legal Studies

We want students to get a Headstart on Unit 4 Legal Studies. That’s why we visited Bendigo with experts from the most im...

The Laramie Project - the American true crime story coming to Melbourne

A play that explores a true crime murder of a gay student in 1990s America raises questions about the adequacy of curren...

New campaign to tackle sexual harassment announced at Legal Laneway Breakfast

Legal Laneway Breakfast 2019 - in 77 seconds! Video of Legal Laneway Breakfast 2019 - in 77 seconds! O...

The VLF in transition

It’s been a busy and highly successful year at the VLF, with many changes. As we come to the end of 2018, we thought it ...

Our Grants program is changing

Our grants program has long supported projects that have a significant impact on the lives of Victorians and the way the...

Free coffee and free legal advice: Expresso Legal hits the streets in Whittlesea

Lawyers from Whittlesea Community Connection are taking their coffee van, Expresso Legal, to markets, schools and librar...

Helping young people understand the rules about sexual consent and sexting

The Murray Mallee Community Legal Service has developed two friendly and easy to follow videos for teens with an intelle...

VLF announces 2018/19 General Grants

Victoria Law Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s General Grants. The successful projects cle...

Research Director appointed

We are delighted to announce the appointment of a Research Director to lead the new research function at Victoria Law Fo...

The VLF Board expands

Victoria Law Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to the board. We welcome His Honour Ma...

Is Sport Playing by the Rules? Victoria Law Foundation presents The Law and You Forum

Sport is an integral part of Melbourne’s psyche, but we don’t often question the way sport governs itself. The Law and Y...

Sport and the law: Associate Professor Kate Seear’s twin passions

blog_image.png Words by Clare Kennedy For a few years, Kate Seear had been part of a group of six women regu...

What to do when your partner dies?

It’s a terrible shock when a loved one dies, whether it’s expected or not. At the same time, there are many decisions an...

What is Confident Commuter?

Our Grants program supports outstanding work by community organisations helping Victorians navigate the justice system. ...

Watch the 2018 Law Oration

Law Oration 2018 - Are Courts Soft on Crime? Lessons from the Victorian Jury Sentencing Study Video of Law Orat...

Changes at the Foundation

Recent changes in legislation and function mean some important change at the Victoria Law Foundation including - establi...

Facing up to forced marriage in Australia

Forced marriage in Australia Video of Forced marriage in Australia This video was created with and for ...

Victoria's legal system

With so many people and organisations involved in Victoria’s legal sector, it can be overwhelming trying to keep track o...

Plain language at the Foundation

Victoria Law Foundation is committed to access to justice, and the use of plain language in the law is an important elem...

Victoria Law Foundation welcomes its new role within Victoria's justice system

Victoria Law Foundation welcomes the passing of the Access to Justice bill which results in changes to its core purpose ...

Victorian State Coroner Sara Hinchey: Shining Light on the Coroners Court

Words by Clare Kennedy Unearthing buried nuggets is familiar territory to the Victorian State Coroner Sara Hinchey. Du...

Law in the digtal era: What goes into creating investigative podcasts?

Victoria Law Foundation is pleased to host this special podcast event to coincide with Law Week 2018. Listen to this one...

Court Network ⎼ Transforming your day in court

Inside the Court Network Video of Inside the Court Network This week Victoria Law Foundation spoke to ...

Youthlaw - making a difference to young lives

This week Victoria Law Foundation spoke to Youthlaw lawyer Lisa Nguyen, to find out more about Victoria’s free legal ser...

The old High Court - a colourful character at 90

Credit: 'Old High Court of Australia building, Little Bourke Street, Melbourne', from the Mark Strizic Collection part o...

New website is just the ticket for public transport users

What is Confident Commuter? Video of What is Confident Commuter? A new website dedicated to helping pu...

New directions announced at the Legal Laneway Breakfast

On 7 February, sunny skies and more than 550 members of the legal fraternity opened the 2018 legal year at Victoria Law ...

Sir Zelman Cowen Oration by Dame Hazel Genn

What would a justice system look like if it put citizens at the centre? This was the theme of the recent Sir Zelman Cowe...

General Grant 2017/18 recipients announced

A new community service to address the legal needs of the LGBTIQ community will open in St Kilda with a record-breaking ...

The Law and You Forum: Perspectives on voluntary assisted dying

Last Thursday night Victoria Law Foundation presented its inaugural community forum, exploring the voluntary assisted dy...

Juries and social media: not like peaches and cream

Posting on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter is usually harmless fun. But one place where you must resist the lure of soci...

FineFixer: a new service to help Victorians manage parking and traffic fines that came to life with a foundation grant

In an Australian-first for the legal assistance sector, Moonee Valley Legal Service recently launched FineFixer – a new ...

Appointment of new Executive Director of Victoria Law Foundation

The Victoria Law Foundation is pleased to announce that Lynne Haultain has been appointed as the foundation's new Execut...

The quality of legal information resources in Victoria - a review

We recently reviewed 1500 community legal information resources available to Victorians. Here are some of our findings: ...

Farewell from our outgoing Executive Director Joh Kirby

This month Joh Kirby will conclude her 11 year term with Victoria Law Foundation. She reflects on how dramatically the l...

Response to the Access to Justice Review

Victoria Law Foundation welcomes the release of the Government’s response to the recommendations identified by the 2016 ...

The importance of Law Week

On Wednesday 10 May the Victoria Law Foundation hosted the Law Week Launch at County Court, officially opening the 2017 ...

Explore the law during Law Week (15–21 May 2017)

Law Week will be bigger than ever in 2017 with a record number of events to be held across Victoria, all aimed at helpin...

French demands respect for the rule of law

Read or watch the full Law Oration here. Legal drama unfolding in the United States around US President Donald Trump’s b...

Rights and Freedoms and the Rule of Law' - Law Oration 2017

In his first speaking engagement since retiring as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, The Honourable Robe...

Attorney-General addresses record crowd at 2017 Legal Laneway Breakfast

Victoria Law Foundation is pleased to have once again hosted this year’s Legal Laneway Breakfast. This year around 550 m...

Victoria Law Foundation was once again delighted to participate in the annual Comview Conference, organised by the Victo...

General Grant 2016/17 recipients announced

Congratulations to our General Grants recipients for 2016/17. We are pleased to announce that we awarded five grants for...

Read our 2015/16 Annual Report

The Victoria Law Foundation’s 2015/16 annual report was tabled in Parliament on Thursday 27 October 2016. This is the fi...

Victoria Law Foundation presents at Comview 2016

Education Manager, Fabiola Superina will be presenting at Comview 2016, the annual conference of the Victorian Commercia...

Victoria Law Foundation participates in research on online legal information

One of the key government strategies to improve access to justice is the provision of online legal information services....

Foundation welcomes Access to Justice report

Victoria Law Foundation welcomes the release of the Victorian Government’s Access to Justice Review report. The Review, ...

Grants program sows the seeds of success

A recipient of a Victoria Law Foundation grant has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious film and media sector...

2016 Law Oration: Of Mozart, modern drafting and the criminal lawyers' lament

Media release Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal judge, the Honourable Justice Mark Weinberg, will offer invaluab...

Metropolitan Law Talks video now available

Law Week Law Talks Video of Law Week Law Talks We are delighted to make Law Week Law Talks 2016 ava...

Law Week 2016 – making an impact

Video of Law Week 2016 – Victoria Law Foundation Building on the foundation of previous years, Law week 2016 was...

Law Talks comes to Law Week

Law Week Metropolitan Law Talks – Victoria Law Foundation Video of Law Week Metropolitan Law Talks – Victoria L...

Join the Victorian Bar Community Choir

Founded in spring 2013, the Victorian Bar Community Choir is an initiative of the Victorian Bar Association's Health and...

Attorney-General Martin Pakula to launch Law Week 2016 tonight

Media release Victoria Law Foundation will hold a special event tonight to launch Law Week 2016 ahead of the week, which...

Legal Laneway Breakfast brings together legal community

The rain did not stop more than 300 members of the legal sector coming together on Wednesday morning to celebrate the st...

Make sure your clients affected by bushfires know about Disaster Legal Help

Free legal advice, support and referrals are available to those affected by recent bushfires in the Otway Ranges in Vict...

Employment opportunity – Business and Finance Manager

Are you an enthusiastic and experienced Business and Finance Manager? We're looking for an applicant with excellent tech...

General Grants recipients announced

Congratulations to our General Grants recipients for 2015/16. We've awarded more than $170,000 to nine diverse legal edu...

Comview Conference 2015

Comview is the annual conference for legal studies and commerce teachers, and is organised by their peak body the VCTA (...

Legal Reporting Awards

Victoria Law Foundation has a new five-year strategic plan, which includes a shift in focus in some areas. As a result, ...

How to produce an effective community publication that doesn’t blow your budget

At the foundation we’re often asked about producing print publications, and how to do it cost-effectively. So, to make i...

What our new plain language legal glossary can do for you

This month we’re launching a new plain language legal glossary, available online and as a PDF. It might be of use to you...

Community Legal Centre Fellowship

The Community Legal Centre Fellowship was offered by the foundation for ten years between 2006 and 2015. The Community L...

Regional Law Talks – Improving students’ understanding of the law

As part of Victoria Law Foundation’s newly named Regional Law Talks program (previously Law Talks Intensive), over 300, ...

Law and Justice Funders Network

The Law and Justice Funders Network, hosted by the foundation in conjunction with the Reichstein Foundation, aims to sha...

Our Education Program is expanding

It’s been an exciting couple of months for our Education Program. We’re pleased to share all the latest developments wit...

Legal Reporting Awards 2015 winners

Media Release 22 April 2015 Victoria Law Foundation last night recognised more than eighteen media professionals for ex...

Law Talks Intensive brings the law to life for students in Sale

Discussing legal issues with a retired Supreme Court judge or police powers with a Senior Constable is not your average ...

Chief Justice’s Medal awarded to University of Melbourne law student

Media Release 12 March 2015 – for immediate release Chief Justice’s Medal awarded to University of Melbourne law studen...

Law Oration 2014 paper now available

The Honourable Justice Susan Crennan AC’s 2014 Law Oration on Magna Carta, common law values and the Constitution, is no...

Attorney-General opens Legal Laneway Breakfast

At Wednesday's Legal Laneway Breakfast, Victoria’s Attorney-General, the Honourable Martin Pakula MP, gave his first spe...

New human rights in three minutes video released

What are Human Rights? Video of What are Human Rights? Funded by a grant from the foundation, The Cas...

Victoria Law Foundation awards $130,000 to diverse legal projects

Media release Victoria Law Foundation has awarded $130,000 to four diverse legal projects aimed at helping people better...

Asylum seekers, local communities, benefit from law student's community service

The 2014 Victoria Law Foundation Chief Justice’s Medal for Excellence and Community Service was awarded to Melbourne Law...

Help with fines for youth in Melbourne’s West

Disadvantaged youth in Melbourne’s west will soon have help to contest public transport fines through the Sunshine Youth...