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Archived Press Releases 2003 August 10th

Urgent Sentencing Changes Needed

(10th August 2003)

Urgent legislation changes are required to ensure our Courts are not seen as "Bulk Discount Recycling Centres" according to New Zealand's largest Justice Reform and Victims Rights organisation.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust has called on the Government to put the same effort into urgent and retrospective legislation to ensure "safety of the community" as they have to ensure the safety of their own Members of Parliament.

The Government last week acted with urgency to introduce retrospective legislation to ensure Minister Harry Duynhoven did not have to resign after he was found to have breached the Electoral Act. It appears the Government is prepared to act with urgency to protect their own, but when it comes to protection of the public they continue to drag their feet, said the National Spokesperson for the Sensible Sentencing Trust.

Mr McVicar said that in recent days many instances of bad legislation had caused major confusion in our Courts. This confusion has allowed, and will continue to allow, dangerous rapists and career criminals to receive a discount on their sentences and run amok in the community and cause more devastation and trauma to an unsuspecting public.

High Court and Appeal Court Judges have asked the Government to clarify confusing and ambiguous sections of the 2002 Sentencing Act, their refusal to do so means that violent offenders and rapists are being released at one third of their sentence and effectively getting a bulk discount for bulk offending.

If the Government really intended for our Courts to become "Bulk Discount Barns" why don't they just adopt the Warehouse slogan; "Where everyone gets a Bargain". At least the public would know where we stand.

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.