Historically, the legislation had been used to disproportionately target Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
From today, public drunkenness will be decriminalised in Victoria. While the change in legislation falls on Melbourne Cup day, the decriminalisation of public drunkenness was recommended by a Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody thirty years ago. The family of Yorta Yorta woman Aunty Tanya Day, who passed away in 2017 has been fighting for years.
"Our family is yet to receive an apology or acknowledgement of the role that police played in our Mother's death and we continue to fight for independent oversight and accountability of police to ensure that what happened to our mum doesn't happen again." The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service has coined this a vital step towards ending racist policing in Victoria. "Victoria's Aboriginal communities have waited decades for this reform.
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