The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to better protecting those who protect us, which is why we successfully legislated minimum mandatory jail time for those convicted of causing serious bodily harm to on-duty police officers.
This legislation is sending a strong message that assaults against our hard-working police will not be tolerated, but a recent case in the state’s North has highlighted an issue when violence is directed against police officers who are off-duty.
While some individuals may feel aggrieved by police officers generally, there are no circumstances in which police officers should be targeted and assaulted because of their job.
Accordingly, I am pleased to announce that the Government will amend the Sentencing Act 1997 to ensure the same mandatory sentencing provision applies to any offence directed against a police officer, on or off-duty, when the offence is motivated by that person’s status as a serving police officer.
This recent incident reveals that some individuals may feel malice towards police officers, either individually or generally, and this amendment will ensure zero tolerance applies when our hard-working police officers are targeted because of their jobs.
An exception to the mandatory sentencing provision will apply if a defendant can prove to the court that the offence was not motivated in any way by the victim being a serving police officer.
We make no apologies for introducing a minimum mandatory jail sentence for those convicted of causing serious bodily harm to police officers, nor for extending that protection to off-duty officers, as this will further assist in restoring community respect for those who put their safety on the lines for others while giving reassurance to their families and friends.
More Media Releases from the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management