Baird must revisit O’Farrell’s mandatory sentencing laws
In today’s Sydney Morning Herald, Deakin criminologist Dr Kate Fitz-Gibbon has authored an op-ed encouraging the new NSW Premier, Mike Baird, to reconsider O’Farrell’s proposed mandatory sentencing laws for a range of serious offences. The mandatory minimum sentencing scheme was proposed as part of a wider package of reforms intended to target community concern surrounding justice system and licensing responses to alcohol and drug fuelled violence in and around Sydney’s CBD precinct. While O’Farrell’s “one-punch” homicide offence and lockouts gained quick support at a parliamentary level, the proposal to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for a range of serious offences did not gain favour and was still the point of debate at the time of O’Farrell’s resignation last week.
Click here to read the full article and Fitz-Gibbon’s argument as to why Baird must reconsider mandatory minimum sentencing laws.