Derryn Hinch's Justice Party, also known as the Justice Party, is a political party in Australia, registered for federal elections since 14 April 2016. The party is named after its founder, Derryn Hinch, an Australian media personality. The party won one seat (a three-year term) in the Senate at the 2016 federal election, after achieving 6.05% of the first-preference votes in Victoria. It also was registered by the Victorian Electoral Commission in May 2018 and ran candidates in the

2018 Victorian state election Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short ...

Background

Hinch announced his political ambitions in October 2015, and at that stage remained host of his weekly program ''

Hinch Live ''Hinch'' (originally ''Hinch Live'') was an Australian television current affairs and commentary program, broadcast on Sky News Australia and hosted by Derryn Hinch. The program initially aired as a twice weekly program on Saturday and Sunday ...

'', in a decision supported by

Sky News Live Sky News Australia is an Australian news channel owned by News Corp Australia. Originally launched on 19 February 1996, it broadcasts rolling news coverage throughout the day, while its prime time lineup is dedicated to opinion-based programs f ...

. Hinch stepped down from the program on 24 April 2016, telling viewers the program was entering either "semi or permanent recess" depending on the success of his party. The Justice Party's election platform is anti- paedophile, tough on crime and in favour of parole and bail "reform".

Policy platform

Focusing on reforms to the justice system, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party believes in a hard-line law-and-order approach, "putting victims above criminals". The party campaigns on prioritising jail sentences over

rehabilitation Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...

and bail, as well as tougher restrictions on parole. Anti-paedophilia forms another large part of the party's ideology, owing to Hinch's background in naming alleged sexual offenders. Derryn Hinch's Justice Party's advocates for longer sentences for violent crimes and further tightening of bail and

parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...

laws. The party also supports ending the live export trade and establishing a national public register of convicted sex offenders. According to The Age, between November 2018 and November 2021, the Derryn Hinch's Justice Party's Legislative Council members voted with the Andrews Government's position 53.9% of the time.

Electoral history

Federal

The Justice Party fielded candidates for the Senate in every state of Australia, and also six lower house seats, in the 2016 federal election. Derryn Hinch was the party's lead candidate to represent Victoria in the Senate. Hinch was successful at securing the 10th seat of the 12 representing Victoria. No other Justice Party candidates were elected. Aged 72, Hinch is the oldest federal parliamentarian to be elected for the first time.

Victoria

The Justice Party fielded 6 lower house candidates with none winning more than 4.5% of their respective district's vote. The party fielded 12 candidates for the Victorian Legislative Council with three being elected:

Stuart Grimley Stuart James Grimley (born 17 July 1970) is a former Australian politician. He was a Justice Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council between 2018 and 2022, representing Western Victoria Region. He was not re-elected at the 2022 stat ...

Tania Maxwell Tania Maree Maxwell is a former Australian politician. She was a Derryn Hinch's Justice Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council between 2018 and 2022, representing Northern Victoria Region. She was not re-elected at the 2022 state ele ...

and Catherine Cumming. However, on 18 December

Western Metropolitan Region Western Metropolitan Region is one of the eight electoral regions of Victoria, Australia, which elects five members to the Victorian Legislative Council (also referred to as the upper house) by proportional representation. The region was create ...

member-elect Catherine Cumming was sacked from the party, and was sworn in as an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

Political representatives

Past members of state parliament

;Victoria *

– Victorian Legislative Council, 2018–2022 *

– Victorian Legislative Council, 2018–2022

Past members of federal parliament

;Australia * Derryn Hinch – Australian Senate, 2016–2019

External links

Derryn Hinch's voting record in parliament from TheyVoteForYou.org.au

References

{{Political parties in Victoria (Australia) 2015 establishments in Australia Anti-pedophile activism Political parties established in 2015 Political parties in Australia Right-wing politics in Australia