Defeat looms for Victorian murder gag law

The Australian | By CLAIRE HARVEY and NINA FUNNELL
Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The Victorian government on Tuesday night failed in the upper house to pass a controversial gag clause in the face of furious opposition from the families of murdered rape victims, including Jill Meagher.

A crossbench revolt in the upper house threw into disarray the Andrews government’s plan to introduce a law including a clause that would prevent grieving families or media naming sexual assault victims after their deaths without permission from a court.

Crossbench MPs, including from Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party and Fiona Patten, supported an opposition and Greens amendment ditching the clause, with ­debate on the wider bill continuing in the legislative council’s evening session…

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