Section 9 Records Open to the Public
5 days ago
3 min read
0
7
0
Each year on 1 January, hundreds of archival records are released to the public as part of Public Record Office Victoria’s annual Section 9 openings.
Under Section 9 of the Public Records Act 1973 (Vic), records containing personal or sensitive information—such as capital case files, criminal trial briefs and divorce records—are closed for a fixed period to protect individual privacy. Once this restriction expires, the records become publicly accessible, offering new insights into Victoria’s social, legal and criminal history.
𝗝𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗲 (𝗩𝗣𝗥𝗦 𝟮𝟲𝟰)
On January 1, 2026, the capital case file of Jean Lee (VPRS 264) was made publicly accessible by the Public Record Office Victoria. Under Section 9 of the Public Records Act 1973, records of this nature are closed to the public for a mandatory period of 75 years to protect personal privacy. As the case concluded in 1951, this statutory closure period has now expired.
The file contains the official documentation surrounding the trial and subsequent execution of Jean Lee, Robert Clayton, and Norman Andrews. The three were hanged at Pentridge Prison on February 19, 1951, following their conviction for the 1949 murder of William ‘Pop’ Kent in Carlton.
Contents of the released files include:
Personal Correspondence: Original handwritten letters from the three accused.
Legal Records: Trial transcripts and formal petitions for clemency.
Government Deliberations: Internal correspondence regarding the Cabinet's decision to proceed with the death penalty.
Historically, Jean Lee is noted as the last woman executed in Australia and the first woman executed in Victoria since 1895.
Read more here: https://prov.vic.gov.au/about-us/our-blog/jean-lees-case-emerges-section-9-files
Further Reading
Garry David and Community Protection
Files relating to the use of the Community Protection Act in the case of Garry David (also known as Garry Webb, 20 November 1954 – 11 July 1993) are now open to the public and can be accessed through the Public Record Office Victoria.
These records document the government, legal, and correctional decisions that led to his continued detention beyond the completion of his sentence. Their release provides insight into the operation of exceptional detention laws in Victoria and the broader debates they prompted about public safety, mental health, civil liberties, and the limits of state power.
The Community Protection Act 1990 (Vic) was introduced to allow the Victorian Supreme Court to order the continued detention of Garry David (Webb) after the completion of his sentence. The Act permitted preventive detention for renewable twelve-month periods where the Court was satisfied that he posed an ongoing risk to the community.
The Prison Record – Garry David and Community Protection was published in 1992 by Jeff Lapidos for the Prison Reform Group for use by schools and students seeking information about Garry David (Webb).
The publication includes David’s written responses to a list of questions from students at Strathmore Secondary College. The responses refer to his personal background, criminal history, self-harm, and writing and art.
It also includes a selection of David’s letters, poetry, and cartoons; the Office of Corrections’ ‘Old’ and ‘New’ Management Plans relating to him; commentary by Fr Norman Gray, Anglican Minister at Pentridge Prison, and material relating to the Community Protection Act 1990 (Vic).
This publication is available at the State Library Victoria.
