You can have your say on knives, firearms and other weapon offences review

The NSW Sentencing Council is calling for early feedback as part of its comprehensive review of sentencing for firearms, knives and other weapon offences in NSW.

Under the terms of reference, the Sentencing Council has been asked to conduct a review of sentencing for firearms, knives and other weapons offences, including but not limited to offences in the Crimes Act 1900 and Summary Offences Act 1988, and make any recommendations for reform that it considers appropriate.

In undertaking this review, the Sentencing Council should:

• provide sentencing statistics for convictions and penalty notices (where relevant) over a five-year period
• provide information on the characteristics of offenders, sentence type and length
• provide background information, including:
  • the key sentencing principles and reasoning employed by sentencing judges
  • the mitigating subjective features of offenders
  • any other significant factors considered in sentencing decisions that explain how courts come to their final decision on sentence (which may be done using case-studies or collation of predominate themes across cases)
• consider whether the standard non parole periods where identified remain appropriate
• consider whether offences for which penalty notices are available remain appropriate
• consider whether the maximum penalties for the offences are appropriate with reference to other jurisdictions
• consider whether any existing summary offences should be made indictable offences
• consider any other matter the Council considers relevant.