Requirements for the Use of Audio and Video Links in Bail Proceedings
Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment (Local Court Bail Division) Bill 2025
Legislative Council
Legislative Assembly
Assent
Topics
audio visual links bail proceedings court appearances court technology detainee rights legal representation
Introduced by: Michael Daley MP (ALP); The Hon Daniel Mookhey MLC (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Alister Henskens LIB
“I contribute to debate on the Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment (Local Court Bail Division) Bill 2025. Two observations should be made from the outset. The first is that up until this bill, the law required that a person who was not granted police bail be physically brought before a court as soon as reasonably practicable to be given the opportunity to make a bail application.”
Liesl Tesch ALP
“I speak in support of the Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment (Local Court Bail Division) Bill 2025 on behalf of my friend and colleague the member for Mount Druitt, who has had to leave the Chamber for a personal matter. The bill reflects the ongoing evolution of our justice system and is a necessary response to the operational and technological realities of our courts in 2025.”
David Saliba ALP
“I speak in support of the Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment (Local Court Bail Division) Bill 2025. I also commend the Attorney General for his work on reform in this space, as well as for other reforms within the Attorney General portfolio.”
Hugh McDermott ALP
“I support the Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment (Local Court Bail Division) Bill 2025, which I will refer to as "the bill". Firstly, I acknowledge the collaboration between the Treasurer and the Attorney General, along with the Department of Communities and Justice, in the development of the bill.”
Michael Daley ALP
“The Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment (Local Court Bail Division) Bill 2025 supports the establishment of the Chief Magistrate’s new centralised Bail Division of the Local Court, and modernises the Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Act 1998—which I will refer to as the AVL Act—in relation to bail proceedings.”
News articles and press releases
Second Reading Speech, Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment (Local Court Bail Division) Bill 2025
The Hon. MARK BUTTIGIEG — 2025-05-27
The Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Amendment (Local Court Bail Division) Bill 2025 introduces changes to the Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Act 1998, or the AVL Act. The AVL Act governs appearances before courts by audiovisual link [AVL] and audio link in New South Wales. Changes to that Act are needed to formalise the use of AVL in first appearance bail matters and to support the commencement of the Chief Magistrate's new centralised Bail Division of the Local Court. Currently, section 5BB of the AVL Act allows for accused detainees to appear by AVL by default in all criminal proceedings except for "physical appearance proceedings", which include trials, hearings, fitness hearings and first appearance bail matters.