Ex Supreme Court judge Lex Lasry talks to Neil Mitchell about Victoria’s ‘horrifying’ youth crime

One of the state’s most celebrated legal minds, Lex Lasry, says the level of youth crime in Victoria is “horrifying” and that escalating criminal behaviour in teens is likely linked to their home lives.

Lex Lasry in the Supreme Court library, after being made a judge.

A former Supreme Court judge says the level of youth crime in Victoria is “horrifying” and the problem is showing no signs of winding back.

Lex Lasry, one of the state’s most celebrated legal minds, detailed his views during an exclusive interview over more than 80 minutes on Neil Mitchell’s Asks Why podcast.

A Supreme Court judge for 17 years, Mr Lasry sensationally resigned earlier this year after learning of a complaint from the Director of Public Prosecution Kerri Judd.

Mr Lasry said he believed the escalating seriousness of criminal behaviour by teens and children was linked back to families and what was going on at home.

“The first question I suppose you have to ask is where are the parents?” he said.

“Where are these kids’ families and how is it that they can be out at one or two in the morning doing these things?”

Former judge Lex Lasry, pictured in his chambers.

Asked about yearly crime statistics showing a 30 per cent spike in offences committed by 14 to 17-year-olds during 2023, Mr Lasry said it was “horrifying”.

“There’s obviously a disconnection felt by a lot of kids in that age bracket and they give effect to that disconnection by going out and entertaining themselves by committing offences,” Mr Lasry said.

“There’s something really radically wrong in the lives of those kids.”

He agreed the problem of youth crime was “certainly not showing any sign of winding back.”

Mr Lasry said he also believed that society was becoming more violent, singling out domestic violence as a major problem.

“I’ve said a couple of times in sentencing that I never cease to be amazed at the way people can find new methods to hurt each other,” he said.

“Particularly in domestic violence cases, particularly the way men usually hurt women, kill women.”

Mr Lasry, who oversaw the jury trial in which Matthew Charles Johnson was found guilty of the prison murder of Carl Williams, also said that he still couldn’t grasp why the pair were placed in the same jail compound.

Carl Williams. Picture: Supplied

“I could never understand how it was that Carl Williams was in the same compound as Johnson, bearing in mind that Carl Williams was on the brink of providing information to police,” he said.

“And that’s the kind of activity Johnson was very, very hostile towards.”

He also said he believed it was a “real shame” that no one was ever held to account over the Lawyer X scandal involving Nicola Gobbo.

“I think it’s a real shame there has not been any finality to that because to me what happened was extraordinary,” he said.

“The idea that a barrister can inform on their client just staggers me.”

Nicola Gobbo, known as Lawyer X. Picture: Supplied

Mr Lasry was the head of the royal commission into Victoria’s Metropolitan Ambulance Service which took place more than two decades ago.

He slammed the lack of action taken to improve the embattled Triple 0 system over such a long time.

“It didn’t improve at all. We did an extensive investigation into the Triple 0 system. And here we are 25 years on and there are still problems. I don’t understand why that is,” he said.