Our Victorian Magistrates’ Court Criminal guide has been updated, to make sure our Victorian subscribers who conduct criminal and traffic matters, or appear for applicants or respondents in Intervention Orders, in the Magistrates’ Court are right up to date with the law and practice.

The extensive review by our author, barrister Simone Tatas, includes recent amendments to both bail laws and sentencing for traffic offences. As with all our authors, Simone takes a practical approach, drawing on her experience as both a prosecutor and defence lawyer, to cover all aspects of procedure and focus on practical tips that will help practitioners confidently represent their clients and successfully run their matters in the Magistrates’ Court.

The commentaries have been updated in all of the guides in our publication – Criminal matters, Traffic matters and Intervention Orders. Highlights include:

• bail amendments and the new ‘exceptional circumstances’ test;
• programs the client needs to have completed before applying for re-licencing after a disqualification – taking into account whether the offence was committed before or after 1 April 2018;
• steps to take prior to the commencement of a plea if imprisonment is a real possibility;
• Community Corrections Orders as a sentencing option;
• the application of the Behaviour Change program;
• what to do when a client is in custody and an appeal needs to be listed;
• the National Domestic Violence recognition Scheme;
• The effect of ‘no electronic publication’ conditions in Intervention Orders.

Precedents include specific Retainer Instructions for Bail applications, Pleas and Mitigation, as well as for Criminal matters generally, Traffic matters and Intervention Orders. These have all been reviewed to ensure they reflect current law and practice.

We invite you to explore the matter plans in these guides and consider the wealth of assistance this publication offers for lawyers who appear in the Magistrates’ Court criminal jurisdiction.