Cops union ‘dumbfounded’ by Justice Julia Lonergan stance on youth bail laws

The state’s police association has lashed out at a top judge’s decision to grant an alleged repeat youth offender bail for the fourth time in less than a year.

The state’s police association has lashed out at a top judge’s decision to grant an alleged repeat youth offender bail for the fourth time in less than a year, saying they are “dumbfounded” and that victims “deserve better”.

Police Association NSW president Kevin Morton has called for a joint session of parliament to address what he perceives as the “growing activism of judicial officers” following three NSW Supreme Court judges openly slamming the Minns government’s tough youth bail reforms.

The most recent was Justice Julia Lonergan, who made fresh comments about the laws in granting bail to an alleged teen offender.

The Sunday Telegraph revealed Justice Lonergan had granted the teen bail despite him allegedly coming before the court over a string of home invasions – in which residents were allegedly subjected to such horrors as being assaulted, held at knifepoint and having their cars stolen – and being granted bail each time.

In freeing him on bail for a fourth time, Justice Lonergan said she had a “high degree of confidence” he would not reoffend.

Police Association NSW president Kevin Morton says has called for the state parliament to address the “growing activism of judicial officers”. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

NSW Supreme Court judge Justice Julia Lonergan has been outspoken about her views on the Minns government’s tougher bail laws.

Mr Morton said he believes things have reached a point where “the rights of the accused outweigh the rights of the victim in too many cases”.

“The Police Association of NSW is dumbfounded by the bail decision in the NSW Supreme Court,” he said.

“The police are bound by a charter of victim rights, and their oath of office, however they seem to be the only part of the judicial system that even considers the victim.

“Who is looking after the rights of the victim?”

In her recent judgment, Justice Lonergan said she believed the Minns government’s tough youth bail reforms to Section 22C of the Bail Act – requiring judges to have a “high degree of confidence” alleged repeat offenders would not commit serious offences on bail – were an “obstruction” to the rights of children who she said deserved to be “entitled to the presumption of innocence”.

It is a view seemingly shared by her counterparts Justice Dina Yehia, who recently called the reforms “troubling”, and Justice Stephen Rothman, who questioned if they were even “constitutionally valid”.

It comes as senior police say they are worried the youth crime situation is worsening after two incidents allegedly involving teenage gangs over the weekend.

On Friday morning, a group of teens allegedly broke into a home at Engadine and stole a car, before reaching speeds of up to 100km/h as they led police on a wild car chase.

The next day, police allege a man was stabbed and a woman assaulted by five teenagers, including two girls, at Westfield in Hornsby.

“Everyone is talking about places like Moree and bush towns with youth crime, but it’s here in Sydney suburbs as well, and it will get worse because there are not enough cops to stop it,” a senior police source said.

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