Reforming police accountability in the age of Treaty: The need for a new model

There is a consensus among practitioners, academics and those with lived experience of the police complaints system that the current police accountability regime in Victoria is unsafe and ineffective. Despite a slew of inquiries attesting to the problem and its ongoing harms, particularly to marginalised communities, reform in this area has been hard-won and minimal. However, we argue that the Yoorrook Justice Commission and upcoming Treaty negotiations offer an unprecedented opportunity for change, specifically through the establishment of a new independent police complaints and oversight body. We examine the essential features required of such a body to provide meaningful accountability in Victoria’s colonial context.