Jason Roberts, convicted in the Silk-Miller murders of two Victorian police officers, has been granted a retrial after the Court of Appeal deemed his conviction unsound. His claim of innocence and new evidence will be examined in court, as he seeks a fair trial.

Victoria is considering judge-only trials to reduce COVID-related court delays, with support from Liberty Victoria and the Law Council of Australia.

Defence lawyers and justice reformers say the figures should be a “circuit breaker” to review government policies such as tight bail laws, which drove the growth in prisoner numbers before the COVID-19 crisis.

A young Melbourne man, Harun Causevic, 18, once accused in an alleged Anzac Day terror plot, has avoided conviction and further custody on weapons offences after being arrested with four other teenagers.

A trusted member of former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu's staff who defrauded more than $18,000 from his personal cheque account – and forged his signature to do so – has pleaded guilty to four deception charges.

Alleged jihadis would have access to religious guidance, education and psychological assessment under a bail support program being developed in Melbourne.

A Melbourne security guard and homelessness volunteer accused of attempting to travel to the Middle East to join the fight against the Islamic State has been released on bail.

Under questioning from Mr Stary, the detective conceded that none of Mr El Sabsabi's alleged offending included any instances of violent conduct and that he had cooperated with authorities.

As part of his submissions, defence lawyer Lou Richter included a judgment from more than 20 years ago by the then-chief justice John Harber Phillips on an appeal by the man's father against his 23-year jail sentence for sex crimes.

Jesse Smith told Deputy Chief Magistrate Lance Martin that the legislation provided "dramatically expanded, draconian and unprecedented police powers.

Chair of the Law Institute of Victoria's criminal law section Sam Norton said: “Young people were placed on the sex offenders register and had their career ruined. These changes are to be applauded.

Defence lawyer Sam Norton had said that his client's relationship with a woman had ended on Christmas Eve and in a letter to the court Davis apologised to the Hussain family.

Katarina Ljubicic submitted her young client had shown "extraordinary insight" into his offending which had had a "profound impact on him".

Melbourne lawyer Rob Stary agreed, saying Mr Big stings have been criticised for years. The police tactic created by Canadian police in the 1990s was adopted in Victoria to solve at least four unsolved murders.

In a recent development, Stary had represented Martinelli, who had pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious injury. Despite police support for a diversion hearing for both men, another magistrate had denied the application.

A groom and two friends accused of raping a young woman during a buck's weekend trip to Melbourne have been found not guilty by a jury.