1 / 11

A community law reform project Merrin Mason CEO Victorian Law Reform Commission

A community law reform project Merrin Mason CEO Victorian Law Reform Commission. VLRC background. VLRC is an independent statutory body 8 commissioners who decide on the conclusions and recommendations contained in our reports

dorothypowell
Download Presentation

A community law reform project Merrin Mason CEO Victorian Law Reform Commission

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. A community law reform project Merrin Mason CEO Victorian Law Reform Commission

  2. VLRC background • VLRC is an independent statutory body • 8 commissioners who decide on the conclusions and recommendations contained in our reports • VLRC major function – to provide reports to the State Attorney-General on matters referred to us for investigation • additional function – reporting to the Attorney-General on community law reform matters which we identify ourselves

  3. VLRC process • Reports are based on: • Research, submissions and consultations • Reports contain: • outline of findings, conclusions and recommendations for reform • Completed reports are: • delivered to the Attorney-General • no advocacy role for VLRC or any follow-up on implementation of recommendations

  4. Consultations Discussions with: • Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages • Department of Justice 33 community consultations with: • maternal child health nurses • hospitals • community groups • Indigenous and CALD groups • new parents groups, including young parents/teens.

  5. Community consultations

  6. Context of project • 75,000 births/year in Victoria – the vast majority are registered • More than 2,000/year not registered six months later • Without a birth certificate, it is difficult if not impossible, to access full civil citizenship rights • We looked at ways to improve processes for disadvantaged/vulnerable groups, particularly culturally and linguistically diverse groups.

  7. Report structure • Birth notification • Birth registration • Birth certificates • Fees • Vulnerable groups • Awareness and access

  8. Birth registration recommendations • Registration of a birth where the applicant is at risk of family violence • Identification of what information taken from the registration form will appear on the birth certificate • Commonwealth Department of Human Services data-matching of birth registration information • Confirmation of birth registration

  9. Birth certificate recommendations • Proof of identity requirements • Standard birth certificate as the only document that can be used for official purposes • Fee exemption for concession card holders • Registrar power to grant a fee waiver in appropriate cases • Indigenous Access Fund • payment methods for birth certificate fee

  10. Vulnerable groups recommendations • Stolen Generations and other Indigenous peoples’ records • Translation and interpreter service information • Birth registration statement in community languages

  11. Awareness and access recommendations • Information about the obligation to register a birth and the benefits of obtaining a birth certificate • Online registration of births • Awareness of the Indigenous Access Team • Phone contact point for service providers • Availability of assistance with paperwork • Expansion of application lodgement venues • Act amended to mandate the promotion of public awareness

More Related