Litigation Reform for Victorian Courts - the Civil Procedure Bill 2010

Background

The Civil Procedure Bill 2010 (Vic) (the Reforms) will result in significant changes to the conduct of civil litigation in Victoria. The Reforms follow a review of the civil justice system by the Victorian Law Reform Commission. According to the Explanatory Memorandum, the Reforms aim to redress an imbalance in the civil justice system to achieve the goals of accessibility, affordability, proportionality, timeliness, and getting to the truth quickly and easily.

The Reforms will apply to all civil proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court, County Court and Magistrates' Court and to any disputes that may lead to civil proceedings in those Courts. The Reforms will not apply to civil proceedings in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal or to proceedings commenced under certain Acts essentially unrelated to civil disputes.¹