General News
14 April, 2024
Victims the focus of proposed law changes
THE rights of victims of crime will strengthen if the LNP wins the October State election as part of three major changes announced by leader David Crisafulli last week.
The proposed changes are to re-write the Sentencing Principles and the Charter of Youth Justice Principles in the Youth Justice Act to make victims’ rights paramount; provide victims of crime with automatic updates related to their cases; and amend the Children’s Court Act to remove the provision excluding victims and their families from Children’s Court on the basis of prejudice to offenders.
In announcing the proposed changes, Mr Crisafulli said the number of victims of crime had grown by 213% as crime skyrocketed across the State to record numbers.
“The LNP’s Making Queensland Safer Laws are the strong crime laws Queenslanders have been demanding and will be a suite of laws designed to tackle the youth crime crisis,” he said.
Mr Crisafulli said amending the Youth Justice Act to remove detention as a last resort would be the first change under the laws, and would be delivered before the end of the year if the LNP was elected.
