Bayley allowed legal aid
Notorious rapist and killer Adrian Ernest Bayley has won the right to have access to taxpayer-funded lawyers to help fight two rape convictions.
The man who killed Brunswick woman Jill Meagher launched legal action against an independent reviewer for Victoria Legal Aid after his application for funding to appeal was denied.
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Bayley, 44, was already serving a life sentence for the brutal and random slaying of Ms Meagher when he was convicted of three rapes, and had his non-parole period increased from 35 to 43 years.
Lawyers, acting pro bono for the former pastry chef, told the Supreme Court of Victoria earlier this month denying Bayley legal aid was a breach of the Charter of Human Rights.
Victoria Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bell on Friday ruled the independent reviewer’s decision was invalid and “legally unreasonable”.
He ordered VLA to refer the decision to a different independent reviewer for consideration.