VLA's summary dismissal application was granted and the proceeding was dismissed; an extended litigation restraint order was also made against the plaintiff under the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2014 (Vic). The Court confirmed that VLA's discretion under s 24 of the Legal Aid Act 1978 (Vic) to refuse legal assistance is broad, that VLA is not obliged to assess an application against a guideline that on its face does not apply, and that bare allegations of corruption or conspiracy without cogent evidentiary foundation cannot sustain judicial review grounds. The judgment reaffirms that there is no constitutional or common law right to legal representation at public expense, following Dietrich v The Queen, and that failure to exhaust statutory merits review under Part VI of the Legal Aid Act is a discretionary ground for refusing judicial review relief, following Kwan v Victoria Legal Aid.
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