The Wire

Civil Libertarians have today criticised the NSW government’s record on law and order. Their comments have come in response to a NSW Judicial Commission report which says changes to non-parole periods, are leading to more consistent jail sentences. The report also shows that these changes are increasing the time people are spending in jail – with the sentence lengths for murder, wounding with intent and sexual assault all up significantly. With an election in sight – the NSW Government is keen to trumpet its record on law and order. However, the report has raised important questions other whether judges should have sentences dictated to them by politicians.