unit 4 aos 2 Flashcards
reasons for law reform
- changes in beliefs, values and attitudes
- changes in living conditions
- advances in technology
- greater need for protection of the community
changes in beliefs, values and attitudes (reason for reform)
- if the law is to remain relevant and acceptable to the majority of people, it needs to keep up with and reflect society’s changing values
- values can change as knowledge increases and society becomes more educated
eg. once society became aware of health risks of smoking, anti-smoking laws were introduced across aus
changes in living conditions (reason for reform)
- laws need to be continually reformed to ensure they keep up & remain relevant with changing living conditions, including social, economic and international conditions
changes in social conditions:
> as aus population grows, laws need to be changed to ensure we can live together peacefully. social changes that have prompted law reform include increased domestic violence, binge drinking, gang related crime and online gambling
changes in economic conditions:
> changes in the workforce & consumer trends have necessitated changes in the law relating to consumer protection & international trading
changes in international conditions:
> increased global violence & the threat of terrorist attacks. wars cause a rise in refugees & can put pressure on the supply of some goods, meaning laws will need to be adjusted
advances in technology (reason for reform)
- laws need to be updated along with constant improvements in technology
- the increased use of mobile devices means the law must address related problems such as cyber bullying, stalking and scams, data breaches and identity theft
greater need for community protection (reason for reform)
- law reform needs to continually occur to ensure individuals and groups in the community feel safe and protected
- the law needs to protect individuals from harm, including physical, emotional and economic harm
- some people have specific rights that need to be protected
- animals & the environment need protection
the means by which individuals or groups can influence law reform
- petitions
- demonstrations
- the courts
petitions to influence law reform
- a common way of raising awareness of the need for law reform & influencing change is through petitions
> a formal, written request to parliament to take some action or implement law reform - it must be addressed to the house in which it is being presented, clearly state the action being requested & the reasons for the petition, and is limited by words
examples: - 2019 e-petition to the house of representatives to declare a climate emergency
- 2022 petition to change the age of criminal responsibility to 14
effectiveness of petitions to influence law reform
depends on:
- the number of people who have signed the petition. more signatures will appear more representative of the community and indicate greater support, more likely to influence a change in laws
> few signatures may mean there is not enough interest for the change
- petitions must adhere to rules , and if they don’t then they are unlikely to get any attention in parliament
- petitions must be tabled by a member of parliament in vic, its ability to influence change can depend on who tables it and their influence within parliament
the use of demonstrations to influence law reform
- occur when a group of people gather together to express their common concern for an issue
- alert the government to the need for a change in the law and raise community awareness
> eg. animal rights activists protest for animal cruelty - their effectiveness depends on:
> the number of people who attend the demonstration
> the nature of the demonstration- if they cause inconvenience or are violent they may not be effective
> the attention they attract from the media & the public, which will generate more support
the use of the courts to influence law reform
- an individual can bring a matter to court which highlights the need for change, this can clarify an unclear area of law, meaning that the case has played a part in changing the law
> party must have standing - if parliament has passed a law that is unclear or unfair, an individual can challenge it in court to have the meaning clarified
- comments made by judges can also influence parliament to change a law
- however, if courts do change a law, parliament can pass legislation to override the decision, unless it is a high court decision on a constitutional matter
effectiveness of the courts to influence law reform
- whether someone is willing & able to challenge a law in court, as courts can only change a law when a case is brought before them
- judge made law can be abrogated, with the exception of high court decisions on constitutional matters
- the party must have standing in a case in order to bring it to court
- views may differ between judges, and may not always represent community views
role of the media in law reform (including social media)
- inform & raise awareness
- assess levels of community support
- influence community opinion
the role of the media to inform & raise awareness
- the media can inform people about social, political & legal issues, as well as the need for law reform
- it can also provide a platform for parliament, government & political parties to explain the need for law reform or their law reform agenda to the community
- the media is able to reach huge numbers of the population
the role of the media to assess levels of community support
- the media can be used to assist parliament, government & political parties, or voters, to determine the level of community support for law reform
- can occur through media polls which gauge what readers, viewers and listeners think about an issue, which can be used by parliament to assess community support
other ways media can also be used to measure public opinion:
> using powerful data analytics
> monitoring letters to the editor in relation to an issue
> measuring likes, shares, retweets & quotes of a post on social media
the role of the media to influence community opinion
- radio broadcasters with a large number of listeners can influence the way people think on a particular issue
- media can investigate local, national & global events & circumstances, these can try to influence community opinion or influence governments to take action
role of the victorian law reform commission (VLRC)
- independent law reform organisation which reviews, researches & makes recommendations to vic parliament about changes to vic laws
- aims to assist the vic government in continuing to provide a fair, inclusive and accessible legal system by investigating the need for change and providing the government with impartial advice
- terms of reference: instructions to investigate a matter, set out the precise purpose of the investigation
VLRC roles
- undertake research about the issue and consult experts
- appoint an expert panel or committee to provide them with advice about the matter of inquiry
- publish a consultation paper which explains the key issues in the area and ask questions about what should be changed for community consideration
- hold consultations with, and invite submissions from people affected by the area under review
- publish a final report with recommendations for changes in the law
- present final report to the attorney general, who will table it in parliament, gov may then implement some of the recommendations in a bill.
functions of VLRC
- major inquiry: examine & report matters referred to it by the attorney general
- community inquiry: minor legal issues that are of general concern in the community & report back suggestions
- monitoring: monitor law reform in vic, including making suggestions to attorney general that they refer an issue to it for investigation
- education: programs to inform the community on its work & areas of law relevant to its investigations
overview of one recent VLRC inquiry relating to law reform
- improving vicoria’s stalking laws
- VLRC commenced an inquiry into stalking, after it received terms of reference from the vic attorney general
- the inquiry was because of the prevalence of non-family violence stalking in the community, the intimidating and frightening nature of stalking, the lack of community awareness & difficulty associated with seeking assistance through the justice system
- it received submissions from the law institute of victoria & the victims of crime commissioner, as well as holding consultations with organisations with expertise in dealing with stalking, and receives responses in its online survey
recommendations for law reform made by VLRC about stalking laws
- that victims are able to more easily obtain financial & practical support to improve their ability to report stalking & access support services
- the government funds & training of magistrates, judges & other court personnel so they are better able to respond in stalking cases
- training to vic police so it can improve the way it identifies & responds to stalking
- the government funds & supports public education about non-family violence and cyber stalking, the community can be more informed about how to identify stalking, the harm it can cause and ways to seek help
- the crimes act to be amended to clarify the stalking offence so that its easier for people to understand
ability of VLRC to influence law reform (strengths & weaknesses)
- investigate an area comprehensively, ensuring parliament is provided with adequate advice for law change, however it can only investigate and make recommendations on major matters referred to it by the attorney general
- it can investigate minor issues without terms of reference, which can lead to law reform
- investigations can be time consuming
- as government asks them to investigate the need for law change, they are likely to act on their recommendations
- measure community views, gov more likely to implement changes that reflect the views of the people in order to maintain voter support
- the government is not required to introduce any of its recommendations, limiting its effectiveness, however statistics show that they are highly influential, as almost all of their recommendations have been adopted in completed inquiries
- independent of parliament, so it can make objective and unbiased decisions
- while government may support the changes, they may not be passed by the upper house if gov doesn’t hold majority
government response to VLRC stalking recommendations
the government announced that it would introduce changes to victoria’s stalking laws in response to the VLRC’s recommendations in 2025
royal commissions
- the highest form of inquiry into matters of public concern and importance, they are established by the government and are given wide powers to investigate and report on areas of public concern.
- given special investigatory powers, including to summon people to attend hearings, give evidence under oath & be subject to cross-examination
- the power to establish royal commissions is given to the governor general (governor at state level)
- once it has completed its investigation and evidence and submissions have been considered, it will prepare a report on its findings and make recommendations to government about how to change laws in the area
ability of royal commissions to influence law reform
- can raise community awareness and interest in an area of concern, encourage people to undertake their own initiatives to influence law reform
- the extent to which they influence parliament is mixed and can depend on the issue and whether there is bipartisan support
- parliament is not obligated to adopt any recommendations made, however they are likely to as the government asks them to investigate a matter, making them more likely to take their suggestions
- they are independent of parliament
- they can investigate an area comprehensively, so government can initiate a law that covers the inquired area
- investigations can be time consuming and costly, taking 2-4 years to complete