Labor’s pledge to review mandatory sentencing dumped until 2021

LABOR has backed away from its election promise to dump the Territory’s mandatory sentencing laws

Attorney-General Natasha Fyles says mandatory sentencing will now remain in place until well past the 2020 election, Picture: Justin Kennedy

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LABOR has backed away from its election promise to dump the Territory’s mandatory sentencing laws.

Prior to the 2016 election, the party gave its “broad support” to six “asks” from advocacy group Making Justice Work, including the creation of an Aboriginal Justice Agreement and the abolition of mandatory sentencing.

But at the launch of the draft of that Aboriginal Justice Agreement on Tuesday, Attorney-General Natasha Fyles said mandatory sentencing would remain in place until well past the 2020 election.

She has given the NT Law Reform Committee a generous deadline of March 2021 to make a report on the practice.

Ms Fyles first said a review into mandatory sentencing was underway and would be complete “within 12-18 months” in October 2016.

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Criminal Lawyers Association NT president Marty Aust said it was “patently obvious” the reform committee would find mandatory sentencing should be abolished.

“It’s a job that will not take a long time. It could be allocated to a single policy officer and doesn’t require ongoing research,” he said.

“How many years does it take to get a report that says water is wet?”

Mr Aust said Labor’s inaction was motivated by a fear of being perceived as “soft on crime” by the community.

“What is unfortunate is that it’s reaching a stage where it appears this Government is not interested in making tough choices. It’s more concerned about holding onto power and not rocking that boat,” he said.

“Where personal aspirations are given consideration over the greater good of the community I think as Territorians we all need to consider whether we have got the right people in government.”

But Ms Fyles said the generous reporting deadline given to the Law Reform Committee was to give the question the “respect” required.

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Deputy Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said the decision to shelve mandatory sentencing reform was “good news”.

“For three long years Territorians have suffered under the Gunner Labor Government’s economic paralysis and unprecedented levels of crime,” she said.

“The CLP Opposition has always stood with Territorians with the expectation that violent offending attracts a minimum gaol term. The fact that the Gunner Labor Government believe differently is incompetent and out of touch.”

Mandatory sentencing for property offences was introduced in the NT in 1997 and later abolished.

It was reintroduced for violent offences in 2013 and has been heavily criticised by the legal fraternity and human rights groups.

The draft Aboriginal Justice Agreement includes provisions to expand early intervention and diversion programs and reintroduce community courts.