Serious Sex Offenders Bill: Key changes pass NT Parliament

The maximum length of an interim detention order has been increased to six months under changes to the Serious Sex Offenders Amendment Bill 2021 that passed through Territory Parliament.

THE maximum length of an interim detention order has been increased to six months under changes to the Serious Sex Offenders Amendment Bill 2021 that passed through Territory Parliament on Wednesday.

The Territory Government says the Bill will continue to provide greater community safety and protection, while assisting serious sex offenders with appropriate treatment and rehabilitation.

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As well as increasing the maximum length of an interim detention order to six months the Bill address four other areas:

• It ensures certain Commonwealth offences are serious sex offences or offences of a sexual nature for the purposes of the Serious Sex Offenders Act 2013
• It grants police power to arrest a supervisee without a warrant for an offence contravening a supervision order
• It ensures that a medical report must set out an expert’s opinion of the risk, as opposed to the likelihood, of the person committing another serious sex offence
• The Commissioner of Correctional Services will establish information-sharing guidelines

The amendments were developed in consultation with NT Correctional Services, NT Police, the Top End Mental Health Service and the Solicitor for the NT.

They will also bring the Territory into line with other provisions introduced in other jurisdictions.

Attorney-General, Selena Uibo said the amendments to the Bill have been developed with a range of stakeholders, to ensure we are providing the best safety and support services.

“All Territorians deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities – and all Territorians deserve to live and raise children in safe environments,” she said.