Criminal Law
The UMSU Legal Service provides legal assistance on minor criminal law matters, including fines/infringements and summary criminal offences. We do not provide assistance on indictable (more serious) criminal offences. If you have been charged with an indictable offence, we recommend obtaining advice from the following services:
Police powers and your rights
When dealing with the police, it is important to be aware of your rights so that you can speak out if a problem arises.
The following video about dealing with the police and your legal rights was created by Victoria Legal Aid.
Victoria Legal Aid has also created a booklet that provides more information:
Police powers: Your rights in Victoria
If you have a complaint to make about the police you can contact the Office of Police Integrity:
Tel: (03) 8635 6188
Website: www.opi.vic.gov.au
Going to court
Going to court can be quite intimidating. For this reason, we recommend you contact us before your court date for advice. We can help you to understand your case and what your options are. We may be able to represent you or assist you to find other legal representation.
For a virtual tour of the Magistrates’ Court, and some advice about what to do before going to court, please click here.
The information on this website is not legal advice. It is legal information only. If you require legal advice, please contact the UMSU Legal Service here.
Last updated: 7 June 2019