Sentencing law overhaul needed so offenders don\’t get off \’scot-free\’, Labour leader Andrew Little says
Stuff co.nz 5 October 2016
Family First Comment: Well said.
New Zealand\’s sentencing laws need an overhaul to stop offenders \”getting off scot-free\” without a conviction, Labour leader Andrew Little says.
Little says some judges are getting it wrong when granting discharges without conviction, saying Parliament has to send a message that it is not acceptable.
Wellington rugby player Losi Filipo\’s discharge without conviction for a 2015 attack on four people is being appealed by police, while an Auckland man who beat his wife with a hammer was initially granted a discharge without conviction before the High Court overturned the decision.
Little told The Paul Henry Show discharges without conviction in a number of recent cases had \”left everybody scratching their heads\”.
\”When there\’s violence involved, when there\’s a weapon involved, when you\’re attacking a police officer or other frontline person like that, it doesn\’t make sense that you kind of get off scot-free.\”
While judges had to take certain \”aggravating factors\” into account when determining a sentence, some did not seem to be giving them enough weight when granting a discharge without conviction.
The courts had a duty to reflect the community\’s expectations and concerns about crime.
READ MORE: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/84975525/Sentencing-law-overhaul-needed-so-offenders-don-t-get-off-scot-free-Labour-leader-Andrew-Little-says
