There can be few more disgraceful acts than deliberate violence committed against our NSW Police Force officers, correctional and youth justice officers, emergency services workers and health workers as they bravely serve our community.
That's why I've asked the NSW Sentencing Council to review the sentencing for offences involving assaults on these workers.
My terms of reference to the Council today ask it to consider sentencing options to deter and reduce this type of offending.
The review will take into account recent trends in assaults upon these workers, who keep our community safe, protecting our lives, property and health.
This work will complement a Parliamentary Inquiry announced by Minister for Police and Emergency Services, the Hon David Elliott MP, which is examining matters including the motivation driving these attacks on members of the NSW Police Force.
The Sentencing Council is led by former Royal Commission Chair and NSW Judge of Appeal, the Hon Peter McClellan AM QC, and includes representatives from the NSW Police Force, victims of crimes and the community.
NSW is fortunate to have experts of this calibre to conduct this important review and provide the Government with recommendations on appropriate sentencing reforms.
The Sentencing Council is accepting public submissions to this review. I encourage any person or group interested in these issues to find out how to provide a submission here: http://www.sentencingcouncil.justice.nsw.gov.au/
TERMS OF REFERENCE
The Sentencing Council is to review the sentencing for offences involving assaults on police officers, correctional officers, youth justice officers, emergency services workers and health workers and make recommendations for any reform it considers appropriate.
In undertaking the review, the Sentencing Council should consider:
- Recent trends in assaults on these workers and in sentencing decisions;
- Characteristics of offenders, including characteristics of reoffending offenders;
- Sentencing options to deter this behaviour;
- Sentencing options to reduce reoffending;
- A comparison of NSW sentencing decisions for assaults on these workers with equivalent sentencing decisions in other Australian jurisdictions;
- A comparison of NSW sentencing decisions for assaults on these workers with equivalent sentencing decisions for assaults generally;
- Sentencing principles applied by NSW courts; and
- Any other matter the Council considers relevant.
Download media release: Review of penalties for attacks on Police and emergency workers PDF, 242.26 KB
