High Court decision highlights sentencing fail

TODAY’S High Court decision shows Daniel Andrews has failed to address our broken sentencing system, says Shadow Attorney-General John Pesutto.

The unanimous decision of the High Court today to allow the appeal of the Director of Public Prosecutions against a sentence of only three and a half years for an act of incest with a 13-year-old girl is welcome.

This decision should not have been necessary and it highlights the urgent need for reform in our justice system to ensure that sentencing practices better meet the community’s expectations.

Daniel Andrews has had three years to send Victorian courts a strong message on behalf of the community that it wants sentences that put community safety and the rights of victims first.

Instead, the Andrews Government’s weak ‘Standard Sentencing’ scheme will fail to strengthen sentences at a time when Victorians are crying out for change.

Unfortunately, without a government committed to taking strong action, there is no guarantee that today’s decision will be enough to fix current sentencing practices that the High Court described in this instance as “manifestly disproportionate”.

It should not fall to the High Court to do Daniel Andrew’s job for him.

Victorians will have a choice at the next election, more of the same weak and soft on crime approach of Daniel Andrews or a Liberal Nationals Government who will introduce the strongest bail, sentencing and parole reforms in Australia.

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