Criminal Law Policy and Operations is responsible for supporting the Attorney-General and the Minister for Police.
With a focus on increasing community confidence in how the justice system deals with crime, the division is involved in policy and legislative development, law reform, innovative projects and service delivery.
Criminal Law Policy and Operations business units and teams include:
Victims Support Agency
Victims Support Agency is responsible for coordinating a whole of government approach to services for victims of crime (External link) and for representing the voice of victims within the justice system. It provides practical assistance to help victims recover from the effects of crime and is pivotal in linking the service system so victims do not need to continuously repeat their story to a range of services.
Criminal Law Policy
Develops and implements criminal law initiatives.
Criminal Law Review
Reviews, develops, coordinates and implements policy and legislation for criminal law matters.
Fines and Enforcement Services
Fines and Enforcement Services is primarily responsible for managing the end-to-end infringements system in Victoria including:
• delivering and monitoring the road-safety camera program (External link)
• enforcement of warrants by sheriffs officers, issued by the Magistrates', County and Supreme courts
• enforcement of unpaid infringement penalties through the Infringements Court
• enforcement services relating to the confiscation scheme through Asset Confiscation Operations
• contract management
• policy development and implementation.
Victorian Coordination Unit – Commonwealth Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Leads the Victorian Government’s contribution to the Commonwealth Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (External link)
Working With Children Check
Supports the operation of the Working With Children Check (External link) that helps protect children from physical and sexual harm. The scheme aims to prevent those who pose a risk to children from working or volunteering with them.
In addition, Criminal Law Policy and Operations has significant partnering and administrative relationships with a range of statutory offices, authorities and agencies within the justice system including:
- Chief Examiner
- Crown Counsel
- Firearms Appeals Committee
- Office of Public Prosecutions
- Police Registration and Services Board
- Road Safety Camera Commissioner
- Sentencing Advisory Council
- Victoria Law Foundation
- Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
- Victorian Law Reform Commission
- Victoria Legal Aid
- Victoria Police