Truth-telling commission given 12-month extension

Apr 4, 2023

**Certainty:** Yoo-rrook Justice Commission chairwoman Eleanor Bourke says a 12-month extension gives the truth-telling commission certainty. Photo by contributed

Victoria’s truth-telling commission has been granted a 12-month extension by the state government.

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The government announced on Tuesday, April 4 that the Yoorrook Justice Commission would run until June 2025 after agreeing to an extension as recommended in the commission’s interim report last year.

The extension provides additional time for Yoorrook to gather evidence on the systemic injustice faced by First Peoples in Victoria, including making recommendations for transformational change.

The government also granted a two-month extension for Yoorrook to deliver its critical issues report on the commission’s current inquiry into systemic injustice within the child protection and criminal justice systems. This report is now due at the end of August 2023.

“The extension is not everything Yoorrook asked for, but it is significant and provides important certainty over the future of the commission,” chair Professor Eleanor Bourke said.

“The final six months of Yoorrook’s life will aim to ensure that the stories and truths shared by First Peoples are not only recorded, but understood by all Victorians. This legacy is for generations to come.”

Yoorrook is Victoria’s formal truth-telling inquiry and the first of its kind in Australia.