JUSTICE IN THE ACT CONTINUES TO GO BACKWARDS

4 February 2025

The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) acknowledges the recent decision by ACT Attorney-General Tara Cheyne MLA to disband the Law Reform and Sentencing Advisory Council.

AFPA President Alex Caruana stated that, regardless of the government’s direction, justice outcomes in the ACT continue to fail victims.

“The concerns around bail and sentencing for the AFPA and our members have never been about maximum penalties—it’s about how the judiciary applies penalties and their lack of accountability and transparency to victims and the community.

“The Law Reform and Sentencing Advisory Council provided at least some independent monitoring, analysis, scrutiny, and reporting on law reform and policy. That small attempt at independence, transparency and accountability has now been removed and lost.

“I would be very interested to know exactly how much the Council cost the community, and I think the public also deserves that information. I suspect it was significantly less than the cost of 500 metres of Stage 2A light rail.

“Regardless, our call for an independent review into bail and sentencing in the ACT will continue. We will continue highlighting inadequate sentencing and bail decisions made by the judiciary,” Mr Caruana said.

Some recent bail and sentencing decisions have raised concerns and put the community and victims in danger. As a recent example, an ACT Policing officer sustained a brain injury from a serious assault. Despite the severity of the incident, the offender was given only a 12-month good behaviour order, three months of probation, and no recorded conviction.

For comments:

AFPA Media and Government Relations Manager Troy Roberts – (02) 6285 1677 – troy.r@afpa.org.au

The Australian Federal Police Association (AFPA) acknowledges the recent decision by ACT Attorney-General Tara Cheyne MLA to disband the Law Reform and Sentencing Advisory Council.

AFPA President Alex Caruana stated that, regardless of the government’s direction, justice outcomes in the ACT continue to fail victims.

“The concerns around bail and sentencing for the AFPA and our members have never been about maximum penalties—it’s about how the judiciary applies penalties and their lack of accountability and transparency to victims and the community.

“The Law Reform and Sentencing Advisory Council provided at least some independent monitoring, analysis, scrutiny, and reporting on law reform and policy. That small attempt at independence, transparency and accountability has now been removed and lost.

“I would be very interested to know exactly how much the Council cost the community, and I think the public also deserves that information. I suspect it was significantly less than the cost of 500 metres of Stage 2A light rail.

“Regardless, our call for an independent review into bail and sentencing in the ACT will continue. We will continue highlighting inadequate sentencing and bail decisions made by the judiciary,” Mr Caruana said.

Some recent bail and sentencing decisions have raised concerns and put the community and victims in danger. As a recent example, an ACT Policing officer sustained a brain injury from a serious assault. Despite the severity of the incident, the offender was given only a 12-month good behaviour order, three months of probation, and no recorded conviction.

For comments:

AFPA Media and Government Relations Manager Troy Roberts – (02) 6285 1677 – troy.r@afpa.org.au

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