Committals

Project Status:

Tabled in parliament

Start Date:

28/10/2018

Tabled in Parliament Date:

16/09/2020

Reference

On 24 October 2018, the Victorian Law Reform Commission was asked to review Victoria’s committal system and pre-trial procedures.  Committals are the process by which a magistrate decides whether the evidence is strong enough to send a person charged with a serious crime for trial in a higher court.

The aims were to recommend reforms which would reduce trauma for victims and witnesses, make the system more efficient, and ensure fair trial rights.

In particular, the VLRC reviewed whether Victoria should maintain, abolish, replace or reform the committals system.

The VLRC published an issues paper in June 2019 and received 27 submissions.

The VLRC’s report on committals and pre-trial procedures in indictable criminal matters was tabled in Parliament on 16 September 2020. The Commission recommended that the ‘test for committal’ should be abolished, along with other recommendations to make the system more efficient.

For a quick overview of the report, see the executive summary.

Follow the links below to download the report, the issues paper, and the public submissions.

To find out which of our recommendations have become law, visit the Implementation page.

VCE legal studies students wanting to learn about this inquiry, go to our Case studies page.

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Project Stage

  • Terms of reference received
  • Submissions and consultations
  • Submissions closed
  • Final Report
  • Tabled in parliament

Publications

Publication Date

16/09/2020

The report on committal and pre-trial procedures in indictable criminal matters was tabled in Parliament on 16 September 2020. Read more
Publication Date

16/09/2020

The report on committal and pre-trial procedures in indictable criminal matters was tabled in Parliament on 16 September 2020. Read more
Publication Date

16/09/2020

The report on committal and pre-trial procedures in indictable criminal matters was tabled in Parliament on 16 September 2020. Read more
Publication Date

The Commission received 27 submissions. Read more
Publication Date

24/06/2019

The Commission has been asked by the state government to review the committals process to make it more efficient and reduce the trauma to victims of crime, while ensuring fair trial rights for the accused. Read More
Publication Date

24/06/2019

The Commission has been asked by the state government to review the committals process to make it more efficient and reduce the trauma to victims of crime, while ensuring fair trial rights for the accused.
Publication Date

24/06/2019

The Commission has been asked by the state government to review the committals process to make it more efficient and reduce the trauma to victims of crime, while ensuring fair trial rights for the accused. Read more
Publication Date

26/10/2018

On 24 October 2018, the Victorian Law Reform Commission was asked to review Victoria’s committal system and report back to the Attorney-General by 31 March 2020. Read More