The Victorian Government will establish a night court for magistrates to hear after-hours bail requests, as part of a big shake-up of the system following Melbourne’s Bourke Street mall tragedy.
Accused killer Dimitrious Gargasoulas was released by a bail justice days before he allegedly mowed down pedestrians in the mall last Friday.
Five people died, including a three-month-old baby boy, 10-year-old Thalia Hakin, 22-year-old Jess Mudie and 33-year-old Matthew Si, and more than 30 people were injured.
Announcing the shake-up, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the tragedy would spark “legitimate questions” and “profound anger”.
“All of us feel it. How could this have happened? How could such a tragedy have come to our city? How could so many lives end and so many lives change forever?” he said.
Mr Andrews said while the bail system had undergone many changes in the two years since his Government came to office, it was clear “we need to go much further”.
“We need to have a really close look at each and every element of our bail system and we need to make profound change for the future to keep Victoria safe,” Mr Andrews said.
He said an after-hours magistrates’ court would be established to consider bail applications for people charged with violent crimes when police oppose bail.