# Liberal plan to split Victorian appeals court attacked as a ‘thought bubble’ that would politicise judiciary

https://mins.news/en/item/29612

- The Guardian, 2026-08-23 04:00 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/aug/23/victoria-election-liberals-plan-split-appeals-court-attacked-as-thought-bubble-politicise-judiciary

> Victorian opposition leader Jess Wilson says a Coalition government would split the state’s court of appeal into separate criminal and civil courts, appointing judges with criminal-law expertise and pairing the change with tougher bail and sentencing laws. Legal and human rights groups call the proposal dangerous, unsupported by clear evidence and a threat to judicial independence.