The Victorian Government has introduced the Bail Further Amendment Bill 2025 into Parliament, promising the “toughest bail laws in the country” to curb repeat, serious offending and bolster community safety.
Premier Jacinta Allan, Attorney‑General Sonya Kilkenny and Police Minister Anthony Carbines unveiled the reforms on Tuesday, building on amendments passed earlier this year.
New bail test for repeat, high‑harm offending
Under the new legislation, anyone on bail for a serious offence who faces fresh charges of aggravated home invasion, aggravated carjacking, armed robbery, aggravated burglary, home invasion or carjacking will confront a heightened bail test. Bail must now be refused unless the decision‑maker is satisfied “with a high degree of probability” that the person will not reoffend if released. Unlike similar New South Wales laws, Victoria’s tougher standard applies across all ages and remains in force indefinitely.
“We said we needed to go further under our tough new bail laws to keep Victorians safe, and that is what we are delivering,” Premier Jacinta Allan said.
“Victorians are rightly disgusted with repeated, violent offending. Now, our bail laws are the toughest in the country, because community safety will always come first.”
Second‑strike rule for other indictable offences
The Bill also expands the “uplift” regime—where the bail test is stricter for those accused of repeat offending—to a wider range of indictable offences.
The offences that will be subject to the new uplift provisions include:
- Burglary
- Motor vehicle theft
- Assaults
- Robbery
- Riot and affray
- Firearms and controlled weapons offences
- Sex offences
- Serious drug offence
- Theft ($2,500)
- Criminal damage (above $5,000, or where damage is caused by fire).
Vulnerable people who commit low‑level drug possession or other minor offences on bail remain exempt from uplift to avoid unnecessary remand.
“These laws protect the community from serious repeat offenders who endanger Victorians, while ensuring vulnerable people aren’t unfairly caught up,”
Attorney‑General Sonya Kilkenny said.
Supporting law enforcement and the justice system
Anticipating higher remand numbers, the government is recruiting hundreds of additional prison staff and adding nearly 1,000 new adult prison beds statewide, plus 88 more at Cherry Creek and Parkville youth justice facilities.
“Our frontline police work hard day and night to keep the community safe—these tough new laws will back that work and send the strongest possible message to serious, repeat offenders,”
Police Minister Anthony Carbines said.
The Bail Further Amendment Bill 2025 follows reforms earlier this year that introduced standalone bail offences, removed “last‑resort” remand for young offenders and elevated knife crimes into a stricter bail test. Parliament will debate the Bill in the coming weeks, with supporters arguing it is essential to prevent high‑harm offenders from reoffending while on bail.
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