Vic killer Knight wins right to sue govt

Victoria's worst mass murderer Julian Knight has been granted the right to sue the state government over the decision to deny him a computer in his prison cell.

Corrections has rejected 18 applications from Knight to have access to an in-cell computer since 2006, prompting the Hoddle Street killer to launch numerous civil lawsuits.

As a vexatious litigant, Knight must first prove to the courts that his legal action is not foredoomed before it can proceed.

Victorian Supreme Court Justice Terry Forrest on Friday granted Knight leave to pursue a lawsuit against Corrections Victoria deputy commissioner Rod Wise over an August 2013 decision to deny him a computer.

Justice Forrest said it would be up to a court to determine whether the decision was based on Knight's status as a vexatious litigant.

"These proceedings are not foredoomed to fail and are not otherwise an abuse of process," Justice Forrest said on Friday.

Knight, 46, murdered seven people and injured 19 others during a shooting rampage in Melbourne in 1987.

He was set to become eligible for parole in May, but the state government has introduced legislation to ensure he remains in jail until he is dead or crippled.

Knight was allegedly involved in a prison assault that left a fellow inmate in hospital with a broken jaw in January.

The victim spent at least eight days in hospital, according to a Supreme Court judgment.