In any matters other than those detailed in criminal law guideline 3.1, Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) may make a grant of legal assistance to a person for representation at committal proceedings if, from the available material including the prosecution evidence and the accused person’s instructions VLA is satisfied that there is a 'strong likelihood' that a benefit will result from representation of the person.
Examples of the ‘benefit’ that may result from representation at a committal hearing include that:
- the charge which the accused person faces will be dealt with summarily
- a committal hearing is likely to result in an early plea
- a committal hearing will lead to a significant reduction in the length of any later trial or plea
- the person will be discharged at the committal.
More information
For more information and guidance on interpreting and applying this guideline see these resources:
Also see VLA’s website for information on the Major Criminal Cases Framework.
Updated