| Truth and justice commission overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 12 May 2021 |
| Dissolved | 1 July 2025 |
| Jurisdiction | Victoria |
| Website | yoorrookjusticecommission |
The Yoorrook Justice Commission was a truth and justice commission established in Victoria, Australia. The Victorian Government committed to the inquiry in July 2020, and it was formally established via Letters Patent in May 2021. This made Victoria the first state or territory to commit to "formally recognise historical wrongs and ongoing injustices" against Aboriginal people. [1]
The commission established an official public record of the experience of Aboriginal Victorians since the start of British colonisation.
The commission's Letters Patent outlined several objectives. Primarily, it sought to develop a shared understanding among Victorians regarding the impact of colonisation and the resilience of First Peoples' cultures. The inquiry investigated the causes and consequences of systemic injustice, including the role of state laws and policies, to determine which state or non-state entities bore responsibility for harm suffered by First Peoples. [2]
The commission also identified current systemic injustices and aimed to build foundations for a new relationship between the State of Victoria and First Peoples based on truth and justice. Its findings were intended to support the treaty-making process.
The Commission accepted submissions in various forms, including written, audio, or video submissions, or as objects such as artwork (nuther-mooyoop). Public hearings were known as wurrek tyerrang.
Uncle Jack Charles was the first Indigenous elder to speak about his experiences at the first set of public hearings on 26 April 2022. [3] A second block of hearings was held in late May 2022. Elders were invited to speak about their direct experiences and perspectives based on their preparedness to tell their truths in a public setting.
The Commission released several interim reports during its operation, culminating in its final reports in mid-2025.
In May 2023, the Victorian Government admitted to the commission that state systems had failed to properly monitor initiatives intended to reduce the numbers of Indigenous children in state care, the disproportionate incarceration of Indigenous people, and Aboriginal deaths in custody.
The commission released the Yoorrook for Justice report in September 2023. It proposed 46 recommendations to reform the child protection and criminal justice systems. [4] The report found that Aboriginal children were 21 times more likely to be in foster care in Victoria than non-Aboriginal children. Additionally, the rate of Aboriginal men on remand had grown by nearly 600% over the previous ten years. [5]
Recommendations included raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years of age. Victoria Police welcomed the report, and the Chief Justice of Victoria, Anne Ferguson, stated that changes might be made after considering the report. [6]
The Commission's final report, Yoorrook Truth be Told, was tabled in the Victorian Parliament on 1 July 2025. [7] It was accompanied by a detailed five-volume report titled Yoorrook for Transformation, which contained 100 recommendations for reform and redress to inform Victoria's treaty negotiations. [8]
The commissioners who oversaw the inquiry were: [9]