VIC New Animal Abuse Crimes and Updates to Court and Coroners Laws

Justice Legislation Further Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025

14 Apr 2026: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Assent

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Topics

animal abuse coroners investigations court suppression orders death registration drug court fines and infringements toll road payments traffic offences

Introduced by: The Hon Sonya Kilkenny MP (ALP); The Hon Enver Erdogan MLC (ALP)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

Producing animal abuse material is now a criminal offence with up to 5 years imprisonment. Animal abuse material means images or video depicting an animal being tortured, killed or subjected to sexual acts, where a reasonable person would regard it as intended to excite sexual or sadistic interest. Digitally generated images are included.
Distributing animal abuse material carries up to 5 years imprisonment. Possessing or accessing animal abuse material carries up to 3 years imprisonment. Controlling access to electronic material (such as by hosting it online) counts as possession.
Courts can now review suppression orders made before 1 December 2013 on application from victims, the Attorney-General, media organisations, or other interested parties. If a sexual or family violence victim consents and is over 18, the court must revoke the order.
The offence of bestiality is extended to cover a person who allows an animal to sexually penetrate or touch them, not only a person who initiates sexual contact with an animal.
More doctors can now register deaths directly with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Coroners have clearer statutory powers to re-open previously finalised investigations and set aside findings.
Fines and infringement notices can be served by email or via an approved government online platform. Service is deemed received even if a delivery failure notification is later received by the sender.
The Drug Court Division of the County Court is given ongoing statutory authority to hear certain offences, resolving a technical legal gap that could have disrupted that court's operation.

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Sarah Connolly ALP

“I rise to speak on the Justice Legislation Further Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025. Like so many bills that have come before the house in my almost eight years here, this one aims to make a number of really important changes to improve the operation of our courts and, most importantly, our justice system.”

Official source →

Georgie Purcell AJP

“I risetospeakon theJustice Legislation Further Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025. This bill contains a really important change, and it is something thatI havebeen advocatingforfor a reallylong time. Manyin this place mightbeshocked to know just how weak our bestiality laws are when it comes to the sexual abuse of animals.”

Official source →

Martin Cameron NAT

“It is great to be able to rise in the chamber for the first time in 2026 and get up to speak on the Justice Legislation Further Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill2025.Ofcourse,as wehaveheard, thisisanomnibusjusticesystembill, and itisatastagewhere we do need to go through and make changes, whether they be minor changes or significant changes, tothisomnibusbillwhenitcomesthrough.”

Official source →

John Berger ALP

“I rise today to speak on the Justice Legislation Further Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025. This bill takes a wide range of existing pieces of legislation and amends, modifies and modernises them to better reflect the needs of the Victorian community. Theunifying themeof theamendments to these various bills is supporting the courts and justicesystemstooperatesmoothlyandefficiently.”

Official source →

Anthony Cianflone ALP

“I rise to support the Justice Legislation Further Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 as well. This is a bill that amends various justice and community safety related acts to improve the operation of the courts and justice system overall.”

Official source →

Rachel Payne LCV

“I rise to speak on the Justice Legislation Further Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 on behalf of Legalise Cannabis Victoria. Like any omnibus bill, this bill makes manychanges of varioussizes in a widerange of areas across our justice system. To saythat this bill has been ajourneyis probablya bit of an understatement.”

Official source →

Roma Britnell LIB

“I rise to speak on the Justice Legislation Further Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025 and in particular to address two aspects of this omnibus bill thathavedirectandpracticalconsequencesfortheVictoriancommunity:theamendmentstotheRoad Safety Act 1986 and the continuation and modernisation of the Drug Court division of the County Court.”

Official source →

David Limbrick Liber

“I move: Thatitbeaninstructiontothe committeethattheyhavethepowertoconsideramendmentsandanewclause to amend the Sex Offenders Registration Act 2004 to prohibit registrable offenders working in commercial sexual services or sexuallyexplicit entertainment employment. Motion agreed to. Committed.”

Official source →

Katie Hall ALP

“I am also pleased to make a contribution on this bill. I would like to just pick up on some of the closing comments the member for South-West Coast made around early intervention. This is a government that has invested heavily in early intervention in the areas of alcoholandother drugabuse.JustrecentlyI visited thefixedsiteforourpilltestingservice.”

Official source →

Eden Foster ALP

“I rise today to speak in strong support of the Justice Legislation Further Amendment (Miscellaneous) Bill 2025. This is a bill of targeted amendments.”

Official source →