parliamentary committees

• Terms of Reference

  • In September 2019, the LSIC received terms of reference from the Legislative Assembly to undertake an inquiry into Victoria’s anti-vilification laws. 
  • The purpose of the inquiry was to examine the effectiveness of the anti-vilification laws and consider whether they should be extended to offer greater protection to groups of people who were not covered by the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 
• Consultation Process

  • The Committee Invited members of the public, including interested individuals and organisations, to make submissions. They received 73 submissions, including Lifeline Australia and the Jewish Community Council of Victoria
  • The Committee also held 7 days of public hearings to give individuals and organisations who made submissions the opportunity to share their experiences, views and suggestion for law reform in greater detail. 
• Recommendations

  LSIC released its report in March 2021. The report included 36 recommendations to strengthen Vic’s anti-vilification law
• Government Response (1)

  SEPTEMBER 2021

  The Vic govt committed to strengthening anti-vilification laws, giving support or ‘support in principle’ to all but two of the Committee’s recommendations.
• Government Response (2)

  JUNE 2022

  Vic parlt passed the Summary Offence Amendment (Nazi Symbol Prohibition Act 2022) to implement the Committee’s recommendation to ban the display of Nazi ideology. 

  The act makes it an offence for people to intentionally display a nazi symbol in public or in public view, if the offender knew, or should have known, it is a nazi symbol. 

  • Offenders could receive a fine of up to 120 penalty units and/or imprisonment of a maximum of 12 months. 
  • Exemptions are included for historical, educational and artistic contexts.