Labor has spent 14 years appointing the wrong judges - but Jess Wilson's crime plan is worse

Victoria’s violent crime problem is being blamed in part on decisions around appointing magistrates and judges, including alleged political appointments during the 14 years Labor has been in power, according to the article. It criticizes Opposition Leader Jess Wilson’s proposal as a misguided response. If she becomes premier in November, Wilson plans to increase prison sentences by appointing the Liberal Party’s preferred judges to the Court of Appeal. The plan would split the existing Court of Appeal into a Court of Criminal Appeal and a Court of Civil Appeal, with Wilson describing “additional judges specialising in criminal matters” for the criminal court. The piece argues this misunderstands the judicial system’s constitutional structure, separation of powers, and how the court president assigns appeals.