2025-03-19
The Victorian Greens are calling on the Premier to front up to the community gathering on the steps of Parliament this afternoon calling for evidence-based bail laws.
First Nations, human rights and community groups are rallying outside Parliament at 4:30pm this afternoon in response to Labor’s kneejerk announcement and to advocate for proven, evidence-based bail laws that prioritise community safety under Poccum’s Law.
Yesterday, 92 representatives of ACCOs, community services, family violence and legal sector organisations united to launch their open letter 'Bail Saves Lives: Poccum’s Law is the Way Forward.’
The Victorian Greens will proudly be standing alongside the community calling for an evidence-based approach to community safety this afternoon and are urging the Premier to have the courage to face these communities who will be most impacted by these rushed, kneejerk changes that risk more deaths in custody.
Quotes attributable to the Victorian Greens spokesperson for Justice, Katherine Copsey:
“The Greens are proud to be standing alongside the community advocating for evidence-based bail laws to improve community safety under Poccum’s Law.
“The Premier has clearly been more focussed on optics than implementing policies that are proven to improve community safety. Last time Labor rushed bail reform we saw a doubling of the number of First Nations women in Victoria’s prisons and deaths in custody. The Premier should come and front the community who are going to be most impacted by her rushed, knee-jerk policy on the run.
“We fear that in the not too distant future the Premier is going to be back here explaining to us all why we’ve seen more deaths in custody and why the community isn’t any safer.”