{"id":"council-law-reporting-victoria-act-1967","name":"Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967","slug":"council-of-law-reporting-in-victoria-act-1967","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"vic","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":173264,"registerId":"vic-council-law-reporting-victoria-act-1967-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967","content":"Version No. 026\n\n**Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967**\n\n**No. 7569 of 1967**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n1 July 2015\n\n**table of provisions**\n\n*Section Page*\n\n1 Short title 1\n\n2 Definitions 1\n\n3 Incorporation of the Council of Law Reporting in Victoria 3\n\n4 Vesting of property in Council 3\n\n5 Constitution of Council 4\n\n6 Members appointed for five years 6\n\n7 Vacation of office 6\n\n8 Chairman and conduct of meetings 6\n\n9 Appointment of officers 7\n\n10 Functions of Council 7\n\n11 Payment of expenses of members 8\n\n12 Investment of funds 8\n\n13 Expenditure on ancillary functions 9\n\nEndnotes 10\n\n1 General information 10\n\n2 Table of Amendments 11\n\n3 Amendments Not in Operation 12\n\n4 Explanatory details 13\n\n**Version No.** **026**\n\n**Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967**\n\n**No. 7569 of 1967**\n\nVersion incorporating amendments as at  \n1 July 2015\n\nAn Act to provide for the Incorporation of the Council of Law Reporting in Victoria.\n\n**Preamble**\n\nWHEREAS the Council of Law Reporting in Victoria is an unincorporated association formed to promote the publication of reports of cases decided in the Supreme Court and other courts and to publish or arrange for the publication of the Victorian Reports:\n\nAND WHEREAS it is desirable that the Council should be incorporated:\n\n**BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly of Victoria in this present Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same as follows (that is to say):**\n\n\t1 Short title\n\nThis Act may be cited as the **Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967**.\n\n\t2 Definitions\n\nIn this Act unless the context otherwise requires—\n\nS. 2 def. of *Chairman* inserted by No. 9778 s. 2(1).\n\n***Chairman*** means Chairman of the Council and includes a person acting as Chairman;\n\n***Chief Justice*** means the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;\n\n***Council*** means the Council of Law Reporting in Victoria incorporated by this Act;\n\n***existing Council*** means the Council of Law Reporting in Victoria as existing immediately before the commencement of this Act;\n\nS. 2 def. of *Law Institute* repealed by No. 35/1996  \ns. 453(Sch. 1 item 14.1(a)).\n\n* * * * *\n\n***member*** means member of the Council;\n\nS. 2 def. of *RPA* inserted by No. 35/1996  \ns. 453(Sch. 1 item 14.1(b)), substituted as *professional association* by No. 18/2005 s. 18(Sch. 1 item 23.1), substituted by No. 17/2014 s. 160(Sch. 2 item 24).\n\n***professional association*** means a local professional association within the meaning of the **Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014**;\n\nS. 2 def. of *Victorian Bar Council* repealed by No. 35/1996  \ns. 453(Sch. 1 item 14.1(a)).\n\n* * * * *\n\n\t3 Incorporation of the Council of Law Reporting in Victoria\n\nThe Council shall be a body corporate by the name of \"The Council of Law Reporting in Victoria\" having perpetual succession and a common seal and capable of holding and disposing of property of suing and being sued and of doing and suffering all such other acts and things as bodies corporate may lawfully do and suffer.\n\n\t4 Vesting of property in Council\n\n(1) On the commencement of this Act all property vested in any person or persons in the name or on behalf of the existing Council shall be deemed to be transferred to and vested in the Council without the necessity of any assignment transfer or other assurance but subject to all liabilities charges obligations or trusts affecting that property and all contracts debts liabilities and obligations of the members of the existing Council or any of them in their capacity as such members shall become contracts debts liabilities and obligations of the Council.\n\n(2) All members and former members of the existing Council are hereby declared to be released and discharged from all liability and responsibility whatsoever in respect of any property contract debt liability or obligation hereby transferred to or imposed on the Council.\n\n(3) No stamp duty under the **Stamps Act 1958** shall be payable in respect of the transfer to the Council of any property in accordance with this section.\n\n\t5 Constitution of Council\n\n(1) The Council shall consist of—\n\n(a) a judge of the Supreme Court who shall be appointed by the Chief Justice as chairman of the Council;\n\n(b) the Attorney-General; the Solicitor-General and the Librarian of the Supreme Court who shall be members ex officio;\n\nS. 5(1)(c) substituted by No. 35/1996  \ns. 453(Sch. 1 item 14.2(a)), amended by No. 18/2005 s. 18(Sch. 1 item 23.2), substituted by No. 79/2006 s. 16.\n\n(c) two members appointed by the professional association known as Law Institute of Victoria Limited ACN 075 475 731;\n\nS. 5(1)(d) repealed by No. 35/1996  \ns. 453(Sch. 1 item 14.2(b)), new s. 5(1)(d) inserted by No. 79/2006 s. 16, amended by No. 20/2012 s. 226(Sch. 5 item 8).\n\n(d) two members appointed by the professional association known as Victorian Bar Inc, an association incorporated under the **Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012**.\n\nS. 5(1A) inserted by No. 9778 s. 2(2).\n\n(1A) Where—\n\n(a) there is a vacancy in the office of Chairman; or\n\n(b) the Chairman is or is about to be absent or for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office—\n\nthe Chief Justice may appoint a judge of the Supreme Court or a member of the Council to act as the Chairman until the filling of the vacancy or during the absence or inability.\n\nS. 5(2) substituted by Nos 35/1996  \ns. 453(Sch. 1 item 14.3), 79/2006 s. 17.\n\n(2) Despite the change in membership composition made by section 16 of the **Justice Legislation (Further Amendment) Act 2006**—\n\n(a) the Council continues to be the same body after as before that change and that change does not affect any act, matter or thing; and\n\n(b) a member appointed by Law Institute of Victoria Limited ACN 075 475 731 and holding office under subsection (1)(c) (as in force immediately before the commencement of that section of that Act) continues in office, subject to this Act, as an appointee of that body until the expiry of his or her current term of office or the appointment of his or her successor, whichever is the later; and\n\n(c) a member appointed by the Victorian Bar Council under subsection (1)(d) (as in force immediately before the commencement of section 453 of the **Legal Practice Act 1996**) and continuing to hold office as a member by force of section 6(2) immediately before the commencement of section 16 of the **Justice Legislation (Further Amendment) Act 2006** continues in office, subject to this Act, as if he or she were an appointee of Victorian Bar Inc under subsection (1)(d) until the expiry of his or her current term of office or the appointment of his or her successor, whichever is the later.\n\n(3) The Attorney-General and Solicitor-General may respectively nominate persons to represent them at any meeting of the Council and a person while so representing either of them shall be deemed to be a member of the Council.\n\n(4) The powers of the Council or the validity of its acts shall not be affected by any vacancy in the membership thereof or by any defect or irregularity in the appointment or qualification of any member.\n\n\t6 Members appointed for five years\n\n(1) A member other than an ex officio member shall be appointed for a term not exceeding five years and shall on the expiration of that term be eligible for re-appointment.\n\n(2) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this section every member of the Council shall, unless he sooner vacates his office in accordance with the next succeeding section continue in office notwithstanding that the term for which he was appointed may have expired until his successor is appointed.\n\nS. 7  \namended by No. 35/1996  \ns. 453(Sch. 1 item 14.4).\n\n\t7 Vacation of office\n\nThe office of an appointed member shall become vacant if the member—\n\n(a) dies;\n\n(b) resigns his office by writing under his hand addressed to the Chairman of the Council; or\n\nS. 7(c) amended by No. 18/2005 s. 18(Sch. 1 item 23.3).\n\n(c) is removed from office by the Chief Justice or professional association by whom or which he was appointed.\n\n\t8 Chairman and conduct of meetings\n\n(1) The Chairman shall preside at all meetings at which he is present.\n\n(2) In the absence of the Chairman from any meeting of the Council the members present shall elect one of their number to be the Chairman for the purposes of that meeting.\n\n(3) At any meeting of the Council three members shall form a quorum.\n\n(4) Every question before the Council shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present at a meeting of the Council and the Chairman shall have a deliberative vote and in the case of an equality of votes shall also have a casting vote.\n\n(5) Subject to this section the Council shall govern its own procedure.\n\n\t9 Appointment of officers\n\nThe Council may from time to time for such period and on such other terms and conditions as it thinks fit appoint a Secretary a registrar and such officers and employés as it deems necessary for the efficient discharge of its functions under this Act.\n\n\t10 Functions of Council\n\n(1) The Council may prepare publish and sell or arrange for the preparation publication and sale of reports of judicial decisions of any court in Victoria.\n\n(2) The Council may if it thinks fit—\n\n(a) prepare publish and sell or arrange for the preparation publication and sale of any other legal works and may on such terms as it thinks fit buy and sell copies of law reports or other legal publications; and\n\n(b) on such terms as may be mutually agreed upon purchase the business of any person firm or company engaged in the preparation publication or sale in Victoria of any series of law reports (to the extent to which such business relates to the preparation publication or sale of such reports) and may as it thinks fit discontinue any such business or continue it wholly or in part.\n\nS. 10(3) amended by No. 9778 s. 3(1)(2).\n\n(3) It shall not be lawful after the commencement of this Act for any person firm or company other than the Council to commence the publication or to publish the whole or any part of any reports of judicial decisions of any court in Victoria (either separately or in conjunction with reports of any other judicial decisions) except with the consent of the Council unless the publication—\n\n(a) is for the purpose of, or is associated with, the reporting of news in a newspaper, magazine or similar periodical; or\n\n(b) is for the purpose of, or is associated with, the reporting of news by means of broadcasting or in a cinematograph film.\n\nS. 10(4) inserted by No. 9778 s. 3(3).\n\n(4) In this section—\n\n***publish*** includes include in a computerized data bank;\n\n***publication*** includes inclusion in a computerized data bank.\n\n\t11 Payment of expenses of members\n\nThe Council may out of its funds pay to any member the travelling and other expenses reasonably incurred by such member in attending any meeting of the Council or otherwise in connexion with the business of the Council.\n\n\t12 Investment of funds\n\nAny moneys belonging to the Council that are not immediately required for expenditure by the Council may be invested in any manner in which trustees are for the time being authorized to invest trust funds.\n\n\t13 Expenditure on ancillary functions\n\nNothing in the foregoing provisions of this Act shall be construed to restrict the power of the Council to expend any moneys belonging to the Council for any purpose that in its opinion is ancillary to the principal functions of the Council as defined in section 10.\n\n\n\nEndnotes\n\n1 General information\n\nSee [www.legislation.vic.gov.au](http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au) for Victorian Bills, Acts and current authorised versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.\n\nThe **Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967** was assented to on 8 November 1967 and came into operation on 8 November 1967.\n\n2 Table of Amendments\n\nThis publication incorporates amendments made to the **Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967** by Acts and subordinate instruments.\n\n*–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––*\n\n**Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1982, No. 9778/1982**\n\n| Assent Date: | 21.9.82 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | 21.9.82 |\n| Current State: | All of Act in operation |\n\n\n**Legal Practice Act 1996, No. 35/1996**\n\n| Assent Date: | 6.11.96 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | S. 453(Sch. 1 items 14.1–14.4) on 1.1.97: s. 2(3) |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967** |\n\n\n**Legal Profession (Consequential Amendments) Act 2005, No. 18/2005**\n\n| Assent Date: | 24.5.05 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | S. 18(Sch. 1 item 23) on 12.12.05: Government Gazette 1.12.05 p. 2781 |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967** |\n\n\n**Justice Legislation (Further Amendment) Act 2006, No. 79/2006**\n\n| Assent Date: | 10.10.06 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | Ss 16, 17 on 18.10.06: Special Gazette (No. 273) 17.10.06 p. 1 |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provisions amending the **Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967** |\n\n\n**Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012, No. 20/2012**\n\n| Assent Date: | 1.5.12 |\n| --- | --- |\n| Commencement Date: | S. 226(Sch. 5 item 8) on 26.11.12: Special Gazette (No. 384) 20.11.12 p. 1 |\n| Current State: | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 196**7 |\n\n\n**Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014, No. 17/2014**\n\n| *Assent Date:* | 25.3.14 |\n| --- | --- |\n| *Commencement Date:* | S. 160(Sch. 2 item 24) on 1.7.15: Special Gazette (No. 151) 16.6.15 p. 1 |\n| *Current State:* | This information relates only to the provision/s amending the **Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 196**7 |\n\n\n*–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––*\n\n3 Amendments Not in Operation\n\nNot updated for this publication.\n\n4 Explanatory details\n\nNo entries at date of publication.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: incorporating the Council of Law Reporting and governing its structure and functions. While amendments have updated the names of appointing bodies (reflecting changes in legal professional regulation from the Law Institute/Bar Council to the modern professional association structure), these are technical updates rather than scope expansion. The core functions in section 10 have remained essentially unchanged since 1967."},"complexity_factors":["Short statute with only 13 operative sections","Minimal defined terms (only 6 definitions in section 2, though with amendment history clutter)","Straightforward corporate structure with clear membership rules","Simple property transfer mechanism in section 4 with automatic vesting","Some amendment tracking noise in the text (section references like 'S. 5(1)(c) substituted by No. 35/1996') that creates visual clutter but doesn't add substantive complexity","Single cross-reference to external legislation (Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014)","No nested exceptions or conditional logic beyond basic 'unless' clauses"],"plain_english_summary":"This law creates and governs the **Council of Law Reporting in Victoria** — a statutory body responsible for publishing official reports of court decisions in Victoria (known as the *Victorian Reports*).\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Incorporates** the Council as a legal entity (a \"body corporate\") so it can own property, enter contracts, and sue or be sued in its own name\n- **Transfers** all assets and liabilities from the previous unincorporated association to this new legal entity automatically\n- **Sets up the Council's membership**: A Supreme Court judge (as Chair), the Attorney-General, Solicitor-General, Supreme Court Librarian, plus two members appointed by the Law Institute of Victoria and two by the Victorian Bar\n- **Grants a monopoly**: Only the Council can publish official law reports of Victorian court decisions (with limited exceptions for news reporting)\n- **Allows the Council** to publish other legal works, buy and sell legal publications, and invest surplus funds\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Lawyers, judges, and legal researchers who rely on official court reports\n- The legal professional bodies (Law Institute and Victorian Bar) who appoint members\n- Anyone wanting to publish Victorian court decisions commercially\n\n**Why it matters:**\nOfficial law reports are essential for the legal system — they record binding precedents that lower courts must follow. This Act ensures these reports are published by an independent, properly constituted body rather than leaving it to private commercial interests."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the available content, the Act appears to have remained consistent with its original purpose of establishing and governing the Council of Law Reporting in Victoria. No significant scope changes are evident from the version history provided."},"complexity_factors":["Very limited legislative text is visible in the provided content — the Act appears short and narrowly focused","Single-purpose legislation with a straightforward administrative function","No apparent cross-references to complex regulatory frameworks","Established in 1967 with minimal apparent amendments, suggesting stable and simple operation","Institutional/governance legislation with limited direct impact on everyday citizens"],"plain_english_summary":"## Council of Law Reporting in Victoria Act 1967\n\nThis Act establishes the **Council of Law Reporting in Victoria** — the official body responsible for producing and publishing authoritative records of court decisions (called \"law reports\") in Victoria.\n\n**Who does this affect?**\n- **Lawyers and judges** who rely on official case records to argue and decide legal matters\n- **Courts** whose decisions get formally recorded and published\n- **The general public**, who benefit indirectly from having an accessible, reliable record of how laws have been interpreted\n\n**Why does it matter?**\nIn Australia's legal system, past court decisions (called \"precedents\") guide future cases. Without an official body to accurately record and publish these decisions, the legal system would lack a reliable reference point. This Act gives the Council the authority and structure to do that job officially on behalf of Victoria."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Act's original mechanical purpose was to incorporate the existing unincorporated Council and vest its property (preamble; ss 3–4). Subsequent amendments altered membership composition and appointment sources (s 5; see endnotes referencing Legal Practice Act 1996, Justice Legislation (Further Amendment) Act 2006, Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 and Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014) and added an exclusive publication prohibition and digital-publication definitions (s 10(3)–(4)), thereby extending the Council’s regulatory and commercial role over law-report publication beyond mere incorporation."},"complexity_factors":["Mixed membership model: ex officio judicial and government officers plus appointees from professional associations, with appointment and removal powers split between the Chief Justice and external bodies (s 5, s 7).","Continuity and vacancy rules that preserve acts despite membership vacancies and allow holders to continue until successors are appointed (s 5(2), s 6(2)), creating administrative timing complexity.","Exclusive publication prohibition on non-Council publication of judicial reports with specific exceptions for news and broadcasting (s 10(3)–(4)), which creates compliance and enforcement questions for third-party publishers.","Discretionary commercial powers allowing the Council to buy, continue or discontinue existing law-report businesses and to set terms for publication and sale (s 10(2)(b)), introducing market-entry and competition effects.","Property vesting clause that transfers assets and liabilities from the existing unincorporated body to the new corporate Council without reassignment or stamp duty (s 4), involving legal-asset-transition mechanics.","Investment and expenditure powers subject to trustee investment standards and broad ancillary spending authority (ss 12, 13), requiring fiduciary-style governance.","Interplay with multiple amending Acts and external definitions (see endnotes and s 2 definitions referencing the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014), producing interpretive dependencies across statutes.","Operational governance details (quorum, voting, chairman substitution) combined with delegated nomination rights for Attorney‑General/Solicitor‑General representatives (ss 5(3), 8), raising procedural governance considerations."],"plain_english_summary":"This Act incorporates the previously unincorporated Council of Law Reporting in Victoria, vests its existing property in that corporate body, prescribes its membership and appointment processes, and authorises the Council to prepare, publish and sell law reports — including exclusive rights to publish judicial reports subject to narrow news and broadcast exceptions (ss 3–5, 10). The Council may hire staff, invest funds, pay members’ expenses and buy or discontinue competing report businesses, so the Council bears operating costs and other publishers face a publication restriction (ss 9, 11–13)."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/council-of-law-reporting-in-victoria-act-1967","history":"/api/acts/council-of-law-reporting-in-victoria-act-1967/history","analysis":"/api/acts/council-of-law-reporting-in-victoria-act-1967/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/council-of-law-reporting-in-victoria-act-1967/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/council-of-law-reporting-in-victoria-act-1967/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/council-of-law-reporting-in-victoria-act-1967/documents"}}