June 21, 2018 Mandatory sentencing would strengthen Charlotte’s Law The State Government’s planned “Charlotte’s Law” will not ensure drivers convicted of aggravated dangerous driving receive sentences in line with community expectations, according to Shadow Police Minister Peter Katsambanis. Mr Katsambanis said that unless the Government added mandatory minimum sentencing to the legislation it would do very little to keep the most dangerous offenders behind bars for longer. “In the case of the tragic death of Charlotte Pemberton, the bikie who caused her death was sentenced to four and a half years in jail, when the maximum available to the judge was 10 years,” Mr Katsambanis said. “Under this new law being planned by the State Government, a judge would still be able to hand down that four and a half year sentence. “The State Government is doing a lot of public grandstanding on the intent and sentiment of this law but won’t go the full distance and force the judiciary to sentence in line with what the public expect for these types of serious offences.” Mr Katsambanis said the families of Charlotte and others killed or badly injured in similar tragic circumstances had been rightly outraged at inadequate sentences handed to drivers whose offences were acknowledged as being at the extreme end of the scale. “I know those people, like me, support the expansion of the criteria to qualify as aggravated and the increase in the maximum sentence but also that the sentences handed down will reflect the gravity of the offence. “Attorney General John Quigley has himself in Parliament previously acknowledged that increasing the maximum sentence available to a judge will not necessarily ensure an equivalent increase in the length of sentences handed down by judges. “We saw the Government baulk at the line on meth dealers – promising during the election to introduce minimum mandatory sentencing but backing down once in Government. Now we see them backing down on making sure dangerous drivers are adequately punished for the harm they cause.” Media Contacts: |
