The Tasmanian Government is committed to keeping our communities safe and protecting victims and survivors.
Today the Dangerous Criminals and High Risk Offenders Bill 2020 passed State Parliament, paving the way for this important legislation to take effect.
The Bill provides for a new legislative framework for dealing with dangerous criminals and other serious offenders, and will ensure offenders are dealt with in a manner consistent with community expectations.
This legislation removes unnecessary restrictions that require a Dangerous Criminal Declaration to be made only by the convicting or sentencing judge and will see several other reforms to Tasmania’s legislative framework for indefinite detention.
Our Government has already completed a number of reforms with the well-being of victims and survivors front and centre, including legislation to address one-punch incidents, the creation of a new offence of persistent family violence, amending Section 194K of the Evidence Act 2001 to provide victims of sexual assault the right to speak out publicly should they wish to do so, and numerous criminal and civil reforms as a result of our commitment to the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse.
The passing of this Bill delivers on our election commitment to improve and more effectively deal with dangerous criminals and high risk offenders.