JUSTICE

Victoria to set life terms for kids as young as 14

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Original article by Anthony Galloway
The Australian – Page: 3 : 12-Nov-25

The Victorian government has belatedly responded to the state’s youth crime crisis by announcing plans to implement ‘adult crime, adult time’ laws. Premier Jacinta Allan is set to announce that children aged 14+ who commit a range of offences will automatically have their case heard by the Country Court rather than the Children’s Court; these offences include aggravated home invasion and aggravated carjacking. The County Court can presently impose a maximum penalty of 25 years for aggravated home invasion and aggravated carjacking; however, the government will legislate to increase the maximum penalty to life imprisonment for offenders aged 14+.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, COUNTY COURT OF VICTORIA, CHILDREN’S COURT

Raising the age of criminal responsibility set for 2025 as Victorian government unveils mammoth youth justice bill

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Original article by Kieran Rooney, Rachel Eddie
The Age – Page: Online : 19-Jun-24

The Victorian government’s proposed changes to youth justice laws will include a two-year trial of electronic monitoring and codifying the existing legal presumption of doli incapax. The government still intends to increase the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12, although it has conceded that this may be delayed until 2025; Youth Justice Minister Enver Erdogan says this will ultimately be raised to 14, although Monique Hurley from the Human Rights Law Centre says the government should do so immediately. The 1,000-page youth justice bill was introduced to parliament on Tuesday, and the government will need the support of crossbenchers in the upper house to ensure its passage.

CORPORATES
VICTORIA. DEPT OF JUSTICE AND COMMUNITY SAFETY, HUMAN RIGHTS LAW CENTRE LIMITED

No free time

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Original article by Daniel Emerson
The West Australian – Page: 1 : 13-Jan-15

Some 1,127 fine defaulters in Western Australia opted to serve time in jail rather than pay their fine or undertake community service in 2013-14. In contrast, just 442 defaulters were jailed in 2007-08. Corrective Services Minister Joe Francis is concerned that many people are taking advantage of laws which allow multiple jail terms to be served concurrently. He has called for reforms such as longer jail periods and deducting the fines from the payments of welfare recipients rather than jailing them

CORPORATES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CORRECTIVE SERVICES, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HUMAN SERVICES. CENTRELINK

Bail decision probably same in WA: lawyers

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Original article by Amanda Banks, Tim Clarke
The West Australian – Page: 5 : 18-Dec-14

The New South Wales criminal justice system is under scrutiny after revelations that Muslim extremist Man Haron Monis had been released on bail despite being charged with being an accessory to murder. He was subsequently given bail after being charged with sex offences. Anthony Eyers, the president of the Criminal Lawyers Association of Western Australia, concedes that the Sydney siege gunman could have been granted bail on similar charges in the state

CORPORATES
CRIMINAL LAWYERS’ ASSOCIATION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, NEW SOUTH WALES POLICE FORCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL AND JUSTICE

Sentences not lenient: Chief Justice

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Original article by Amanda Banks
The West Australian – Page: 18 : 15-Oct-14

Western Australia’s Chief Justice Wayne Martin says there is a perception among the general public that judges in Australia are too soft on crime and impose lenient sentences, which in turn is leading to higher crime rates. However, he has told a conference in Singapore that courts in all Australian jurisdictions are in fact imposing harsher sentences, with the result that crime rates are falling. He noted that the state’s appeal courts are handing down tougher sentences for crimes such as glassing and manslaughter

CORPORATES
SUPREME COURT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, SINGAPORE ACADEMY OF LAW