Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Criminal Procedure Act 2009 - SECT 1

Purposes

1. Purposes

The purposes of this Act are-

   (a)  to clarify, simplify and consolidate the laws relating to criminal
        procedure in the Magistrates' Court, the County Court and the Supreme
        Court;

   (b)  to introduce a new procedure permitting the service of a notice to
        appear in the Magistrates' Court;

   (c)  to provide new pre-trial disclosure requirements for the prosecution;

   (d)  to provide for a 6-month time limit for the filing of charges for
        summary offences in the Children's Court;

   (e)  to provide for the transfer to the County Court or Supreme Court of
        summary offences related to an offence to be tried on indictment by
        the relevant court;

   (f)  to abolish the procedure of indictment by grand jury;

   (g)  to provide for interlocutory appeals in criminal proceedings in the
        County Court and the Supreme Court;

   (h)  to clarify the tests relating to determination of appeals by the Court
        of Appeal;

        (i)    to provide for the stay of sentences on appeal;

   (j)  to amend the Sentencing Act 1991 to provide for a maximum fine that
        may be imposed for an indictable offence that is heard and determined
        summarily;

   (k)  to amend the Crimes Act 1958, the Crimes (Mental Impairment and
        Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997, the Magistrates' Court Act 1989, the
        Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 and the Appeal Costs Act 1998;

   (l)  to repeal the Crimes (Criminal Trials) Act 1999;

   (m)  to make consequential and other amendments.