Begging - We Want Change

For many years, the HPLC has been advocating for legislative change to decriminalize begging through the We Want Change campaign.

In 2008 the HPLC consulted with people who engage in begging on the streets of Melbourne to hear about their experiences.  This research has informed the HPLC’s current law reform project that advocates for the repeal of the current begging offence under section 49A of the Summary Offences Act 1966 and for improved public policy responses to begging in Victoria. 

A key component of this law reform project is a report on begging in Melbourne, which considers the following issues:

• The interrelationship between begging, poverty and homelessness;
• Whether the offence of begging is compatible with human rights under the Charter of Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006; and
• Alternative public policy responses to begging which are compatible with human rights.

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