As Victoria raises its Covid-19 fines to $5000, lawyers say the agency overseeing fines continues to take a hardline approach to debt collection, ignoring the devastating effects this punitive system can have on the vulnerable.

A senate inquiry into thalidomide in March called for survivors to be better supported and compensated. Months later the government still has done nothing.

Plans to introduce spent convictions legislation in Victoria – the only state that doesn’t allow the wiping of minor convictions from a person’s record – stalled earlier this year. Now, Reason Party leader Fiona Patten has put the scheme back on the agenda.

A new campaign is calling on Victorian premier Daniel Andrews to show his progressive values by drastically reducing the number of women and children in jail.

Privacy fears surround Victoria’s new DNA laws, which would allow police to take samples from suspects before they are charged with any crime.

Victoria Police are expanding the use of body cameras despite concerns from community and legal groups about a lack of rules over their use and uncertainty about the accessibility of footage to support complaints about police conduct.

New mandatory sentencing laws for assaults against emergency workers could see frightened victims of family violence face jail time while their attackers go free.

A marching band in Melbourne comprising young refugees from Syria is helping its members adjust to their new home, while providing a connection with their community.

Clinton Pryor has walked across Australia to raise awareness of injustice for Indigenous peoples and now approaches Canberra for a planned meeting with the governor-general.