LibGuides: Justice: Websites and online resources

Justice websites

Judicial College of Victoria Bench Books
The College’s bench books provide clear, accurate and accessible explanations of the law – across a variety of areas, including civil and criminal proceedings.
Law Handbook
The Law Handbook is available to read online for free. (Scroll down the landing page and click on Read Now.)
Legal Research Skills: An Australian Law Guide
This open access guide (free to read and use) is designed to support students undertaking legal studies and contribute to the development of research skills in Australian law schools.

AustLII - Australian Legal Information Institute
The Australian Legal Information Institute is searchable full text database of Australian federal and state legal cases and legislation. For tips on using this resource visit our AustLII help guide.
JADE
JADE (Judgements and Decisions Enhanced) is a free online legal research service which has been developed by BarNet a not for profit technology services organisation run by NSW barristers.
Parliament of Australia, Parliamentary Library - Legislative analysis
Independent research about Australian Government legislation, providing a useful summary of key points and as well as analysis of any legislation bills and amendments.
Federal Register of Legislation
The Federal Register of Legislation (the Register) is the authorised whole-of-government website for Commonwealth legislation and related documents. It contains the full text and details of the lifecycle of individual laws and the relationships between them. The Register is managed by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel in accordance with the Legislation Act 2003.

Australian Institute of Family Studies: Domestic & Family violence
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) is an Australian Government statutory agency. AIFS’ mission is to conduct high-quality, impartial research into the wellbeing of Australian families, to inform government policy and promote evidence-based practice in the family services sector.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Family, domestic and sexual violence
This website brings together information from a range of sources to provide a comprehensive picture of FDSV in Australia and summarises changes in key measures over time. Regular updates are made to include the latest available data for key national data sources.
Family Violence/Victoria Police
How Victoria Police can support people experiencing domestic and family violence.
Safe and Equal
Safe and Equal is the peak body for specialist family violence services that provide support to victim survivors in Victoria.

Australian Federal Police
The AFP provides a range of investigation and operational support, security risk management, security vetting and information services to assist public.
Victoria Police
Victoria Police provides a 24 hour police service to the Victorian community. Victoria Policecontributes to a high quality of life for individuals in the community by ensuring a safe and secure society and underpins the economic, social and cultural wellbeing of Victoria.
Victoria Police website includes policies, practices, legislation; statistics on crime, traffic and sex offenders register.
Corrections, Prisons and Parole
Corrections Victoria implements court judgments and orders of the Adult Parole Board. It sets strategy, policy and standards for the management of the state’s system of correctional facilities. It also develops programs for the containment and rehabilitation of prisoners and the community-based supervision of offenders.
Sentencing Advisory Council
The Sentencing Advisory Council publishes a wide range of material on sentencing matters including research papers and reports on complex sentencing issues.
Victorian Association for the Care & Resettlement of Offenders (VACRO)
VACRO provides support to offenders and their families - to assist them to face the issues that confront them during arrest, imprisonment and upon release.
Women's Justice Network
The Women In Prison Advocacy Network (WIPAN) works to raise awareness of and progress the cultural, social, economic and political inequalities that exist for criminalised women and female youth by addressing the policies and practices that sustain these injustices. WIPAN takes a grassroots approach to addressing women's and young women's social justice issues by directly engaging women and female youth post-release.

For information on some of the First Nations resources accessible through Holmesglen Library, visit the First Nations Resources LibraryGuide. Among other things, you can browse:

Books (with tabs for topics such as Reconciliation, Law and Legislation and Social Justice);
Ebooks (with tabs for topics such as Social Justice, History and Culture and General First Nations ebooks).

Informit has an Indigenous Collection database, offering work related to engagement and debate surrounding Indigenous culture, health, human geography and other important aspects, giving voice to Indigenous communities in Australia and New Zealand.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare : Youth Justice
People who commit or allegedly commit a crime when aged 10–17 may be dealt with under the youth justice system. Each state and territory in Australia has its own youth justice legislation, policies and practices but the general processes by which young people are charged, and the types of legal orders available to the courts, are similar.
'Help way earlier!' - transforming child justice - Australian Human Rights Commission
This report investigates opportunities for reform of child justice and related systems across Australia based on children’s rights and sound evidence. The report includes the voices of children and their families, and stakeholder submissions, interviews and roundtables.
State Government of Victoria, Department of Justice & Community Safety - Youth Justice
Youth Justice supervises children and young people who are in the criminal justice system, including young people 10-18 years of age and young adults up to 24 years of age who are serving their sentence in Youth Justice’s ‘dual track’ system. Youth Justice may work with young people in the community, or in custodial services.

The Conversation
Research based news and analysis - topics include justice, law, police, domestic violence and crime.
Crime Statistics Agency
Publishes crime statistics and data, as well as research and analysis into recorded crime and criminal justice issues and trends in Victoria.
Analysis and Policy Observatory - Justice Collection
APO is a news service and library specialising in Australian public policy reports and articles from academic research centres, think tanks, government and non-government organisations. As well as research, the site features opinion and commentary pieces, video, audio and web resources focused on the policy issues facing Australia.
Legal terms
Parliament of Australia infosheet explaining basic legal terms