Melbourne Law School - Theses
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ItemCompensation for compulsory acquisition in Victoria( 1974)This thesis explores in some detail the law of compensation for compulsory acquisition in the State of Victoria. An historical survey Is undertaken in Chapter One of Victorian legislation to give the background to and an understanding of the current legislative provisions. These provisions are analysed. Chapter two discusses the relevant case law while chapter three shows the actual practice of a sampling of acquiring authorities in the State of Victoria. Chapter four branches out and takes a quick survey of the legislation in several other jurisdictions. Chapter five pinpoints the major areas of concern and makes some recommendations for improvements in the law.
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ItemThe law of theft in Victoria( 1967)My theme in this thesis is the contention that the substantive law of theft in Victoria is in an unsatisfactory condition and urgently in need of fundamental and comprehensive reform; and that this is so principally for the following two reasons. Firstly, concepts and rules framed in the early English common law for a relatively primitive society and inadequate for the complex framework and activities of the modern occupationally diversified economy still form the basis of much of the present law of theft. Rigid and circumscribed or artificial and fictional uses, in the law of larceny, of the concept of possession,-when reference should be to modern concepts of ownership of property interests-and of the requirement of trespass, -when reference should be to modern concepts of misappropriation- are examples of this. A legal theory framed only for tangibles has proved incapable of facile and useful adaptation to intangibles. Secondly, the history of the law of theft has been marked by piecemeal, ad hoc improvisation, whether by judiciary or legislature, in the successive creation of new offences, or attempted gap-filling in or between old offences, as each new exigency of theory arose. This has led to a confusing multiplicity of authoritatively distinct, though sometimes overlapping, offences-all within the general sphere of theft. It resembles the planting of fruit trees too close together, as in a thicket where none thrived, though one healthy tree, if planted alone, would have done. In such an atmosphere the law has often lost touch with the realities of everyday life. In certain important respects the position is substantially the same in Victoria today. In the pages which follow I shall endeavour to substantiate my contention by a critical examination of the law and its history, with particular reference to certain fundamental problems, and shall finally discuss, in the light of that examination, the sort of reform which seems to be indicated.
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ItemDrainage of surface waters : common law rights and Victorian legislation( 1976)This thesis considers the different rules applied by the courts in common law jurisdictions to the problem of disposing of unwanted surface waters and also examines the Victorian Drainage of Land Bill 1975 and earlier legislation. It commences with a study of English decisions and then examines, in detail, the three rules generally applied, describes their weaknesses and advantages and compares them with the rules applied to other categories of water. In the course of this examination the legal rights of private individuals pertaining to the use, control and. disposal of surface waters in respect of each rule is ascertained. This study points out weaknesses in the three rules and suggests modifications to them and to the rule applied in Victoria. In the final chapter, a comparison is made between the present law and the Drainage of Land Bill 1975 and the effect this Bill is likely to have. It also suggests amendments to the Bill as presented to the Victorian Parliament.
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ItemThe regulation of government enterprises in Victoria : balancing efficiency and accountability( 1990)In a Westminster system such as that in Victoria, the regulation of government enterprises must strike a balance between the demands of government enterprises for autonomy, so as to maximise efficiency, and the public's demands for full accountability for the expenditure of public funds. Since 1982, in response to these demands, the Cain Government has followed a policy of "commercialising" the operations of major public enterprises, while simultaneously attempting to increase their accountability to the Government, Parliament and the public. While the initiatives flowing from this "dual purpose" policy have already achieved a measure of success in enhancing both the efficiency and accountability of government enterprises in Victoria, significant gaps remain, particularly in the area of accountability. Although it is to be hoped that the Cain Government will move to remedy this imbalance, the omissions in the policy should not be seen as overshadowing the Government's major achievements in the field of government enterprise regulation.
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ItemRecent developments in the law of consumer guarantees and indemnities( 1985)A brief examination of the history of the guarantee reveals that equity treated the guarantor as a favoured debtor, given the absence of real benefit to the guarantor. However, these protections have largely been removed by standard form guarantee contracts used by, credit providers, and the law is also otherwise deficient in protecting consumer guarantors. As the expansion of the use of credit in recent years has meant that guarantees are now sometimes given carelessly and thoughtlessly, by persons without adequate education and resources to protect their interests, regulation is required (Chapter 1). The statutory regulation of guarantees before the passing of the Credit Act was inadequate. After examining the scope and nature of the Credit Act, the effect of the Credit Act on the regulation of guarantees is examined (Chapter 2). The extent to which the common law and statute law regulate pre-contractual information given to guarantors is then examined. It is concluded that room for improvement exists (Chapter 3). The extent to which the common law and statute law regulate the exercise of undue influence, unfair pressure and the making of unconscionable bargains is then examined and it is concluded that developments will occur rapidly in this area (Chapter 4). Common law and statutory provisions which discharge the guarantor from liability are then examined in the light of the operation of the Credit Act and it is concluded that some flaws exist both in principle and in the operation of the law (Chapter 5). The extent to which the guarantor is entitled to control the appropriation of payments made by the debtor, and the extent to which the guarantor's liability is coextensive with that of the debtor is then examined and some changes suggested (Chapter 6). The guarantor's rights to have action taken first against the debtor and the debtor's assets, the guarantor's rights to notice before action, and the right of indemnification after action, are then examined (Chapter 7). The possible reasons for the non-regulation of guarantees are examined and dismissed; past suggestions for reform and possible future reforms are examined (Chapter 8). Standard form contracts of guarantee are discussed and the text of a draft fair, simple English, standard form guarantee is suggested (Chapter 9). The law is as stated at 30 November, 1985.
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ItemThe concept of dishonesty in the law of theft in Victoria and England( 1983)This paper is en empirical examination of the concept of dishonesty in England and Victoria from its inception as a result of the recommendations of the Criminal Law Revision Committee in England to the present state of the authorities in England and Victoria. The paper follows the authorities in chronological order first in England and then in Victoria. Each authority is examined and analysed in order to see how the Courts have come to terms with the new concept in defining it, how the concept has developed and changed and the connection of the new concept with the old concepts of larceny and related offences. General criticisms are offered where it is believed that the Courts have strayed from the concept or where the Courts appear confused about defining the concept or where the reasoning appears erroneous. The adequacy or otherwise of the concept as it presently stands is assessed and what advantages and disadvantages exist in the two jurisdictions. Finally, a proposal for reform is suggested having regard to the present state of the authorities.
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ItemThe suspended sentence : introduction and use as a sentencing option in Victoria( 1992)This thesis examines the introduction of the suspended sentence of imprisonment as a sentencing option available to the courts in Victoria and the problems with its use. As the Victorian legislation regarding suspended sentences was based on earlier English legislation, the thesis looks at the first few years of the English experience and seeks to draw a comparison between the types of problems encountered in the two jurisdictions and the attempted resolution of these problems. It is to be argued that, since the introduction of the suspended sentence of imprisonment as a sentencing option in the criminal justice system of Victoria, an operational pattern similar to the English experience has developed and that: (i) the use of the suspended sentence as a penalty by the courts has failed to reflect the views of the Parliament of Victoria as to its position in the hierarchy of sentencing options, and (ii) the use of the suspended sentence as a means of reducing prison populations has failed, and (iii) the courts have failed to use the suspended sentence option in an appropriate manner. Until either the legislature or the courts have developed appropriate guidelines to rectify or control such use,the suspended sentence of imprisonment should itself be suspended, and if guidelines are not developed then it should be suspended or abolished as a sentencing option in Victoria.