Yoorrook welcomes announcement that public drunkenness laws won’t be replaced with additional police powers

For media enquiries, please contact Evan Schuurman 0408 847 385 or [email protected]

January 17, 2023

The Yoorrook Justice Commission has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement today that the state’s public drunkenness laws will finally be abolished in November, and not replaced by new police powers to move on or arrest a person for being drunk in a public place.

The Victorian Parliament committed to repeal public drunkenness laws in 2019 following decades of advocacy by First Peoples, most recently by the family of Yorta Yorta woman Aunty Tanya Day who died in police custody in December 2017.

In its interim report released in June 2022, Yoorrook further backed calls by First Peoples organisations that have been advocating for decades for public drunkenness laws to be abolished for a public health response, led by First Peoples and appropriately resourced.

The impact of the significant delay in implementing these changes was consistently raised by witnesses throughout Yoorrook’s December hearings into the criminal justice system.

Acting Chair of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, Sue-Anne Hunter, said:

“The Yoorrook Justice Commission welcomes the long overdue abolishment of public drunkenness laws in Victoria, which was a recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody over 30 years ago.

“Yoorrook also welcomes today’s commitment by the Victorian government to rule out any additional powers for police to apprehend or move on people found drunk in public.

“Over a very long time, Aboriginal leaders, organisations and community members, many of whom have lost loved ones after they died while incarcerated, have advocated for these laws to be abolished and replaced with a public health response. It is pleasing to see progress.

“This reform is among a host of recommendations that have been made to Yoorrook by First Peoples to fix Victoria’s criminal justice system, including raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14, and reforming bail laws.

“Abolishing public drunkenness laws is an important step – but only one step – on the road to ending the injustices faced by Victoria’s First Peoples, and building a fairer future for all Victorians.”

ENDS

Share this Media Release

More media releases

April 4, 2023

Victoria’s truth telling inquiry given 12-month extension

The Yoorrook Justice Commission will run until June 2025 after being granted a 12-month extension by the Victorian Government. Amended…
Read more
April 3, 2023

Government to provide update on compliance at Yoorrook hearing

The Yoorrook Justice Commission will hear from representatives of the Victorian Government tomorrow regarding its failure to comply with the…
Read more
March 24, 2023

Yoorrook calls hearing regarding government non-compliance

The Yoorrook Justice Commission has called a directions hearing at 10am on Monday March 27 regarding the Victorian Government’s non-compliance…
Read more