Body worn cameras: The all-seeing eye? [Law Institute Journal]
Despite the significant roll out of body worn cameras by the Victorian government, their use, disclosure and retention remain controversial. Further, the question of the actual value of filming police as a means of discouraging misconduct must be asked, especially in light of the recent incidents involving Eric Garner and George Floyd.
Opening the door on police’s duty of care
This article, 'Opening the door on police's duty of care', by Yusur Al-Azzawi, first appeared in Precedent, the journal of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA), issue 153, July/August 2019, pp22-6. It has been reproduced with the kind permission of both the author and the ALA.
Body worn camera scheme fails accountability test [Law Institute Journal]
Body cameras will be worn by 11,000 Victorian police by 2020, but it will be up to individual officers to decide when to turn them on or off.
Smith v State of Victoria [2018] VSC 475
The Plaintiffs in this application are a mother and three children. They were the victims of multiple acts of family violence by the children’s father over the course of a decade. The Plaintiffs allege that Victoria Police officers owed the family a duty of care and that the police subsequently breached that duty, causing the Plaintiffs psychological harm. The Plaintiffs also allege that Victoria Police acted contrary to its obligations as a public authority and in doing so, breached the family’s human rights.
