This article originally appeared on The Age website on 4 Oct 2020.
Excerpt:
Victoria Police officers cannot be compelled to release footage from body-worn cameras in civil proceedings following a County Court decision last month which has prompted calls for urgent reform of the laws that regulate their use.
Robinson Gill lawyer Jeremy King warned of a serious miscarriage of justice without government intervention.
“It is in the interest of plaintiffs, police and the TAC that this gets fixed straight away,” he said.
“There is a massive black hole in the legislation regarding courts being able to access and utilise body-worn camera footage in any civil proceeding. Courts are being denied critical evidence that may determine the outcome of a case.”