A Threat to Religious Freedom in Victoria

The Victorian Government’s Justice Legislation Amendment (Anti-Vilification and Social Cohesion) Bill passed the Legislative Assembly last week with a government majority. The AACS is glad the Government listened to the feedback of faith communities by amending the ‘religious defence’ to explicitly include protections for ‘proselytising and preaching’ in the Bill. This is a positive step.

However, we remain concerned these amendments do not go far enough. The Bill still allows Christians to be brought before the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) if someone with a protected attribute finds their speech, writing, or social media posts offensive. This creates a risk of legal harassment and self-censorship among faith communities.

The Bill now moves to the Legislative Council for debate. We encourage all Victorian Christian educators and school communities to pray and take action to ensure that this flawed Bill does not pass without amendment.