An important part of our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania's Future is to develop stronger communities and enhance our regions.
That’s why a re-elected majority Liberal Government will:
- Establish an independent mechanism to manage judicial complaints.
- Mandate high risk offender order assessments for all child sexual offenders under the Dangerous Criminal and High Risk Offenders Act 2021.
- Introduce a presumption of mandatory minimum sentencing to protect first responders and frontline workers, including nurses, paramedics, correctional workers, hospitality and transport workers.
- Support further measures to reduce court backlogs and improving access to justice.
- Expand the Just Healthy Families Program for easier access to legal advice for those affected by family violence.
- Introduce a new crime of impersonating a ride share driver to protect Tasmanians from sexual predators.
- Establish a Justice Precinct around the new Burnie Courts Complex, including a new Victims Service.
Establishing an independent process to manage judicial complaints
The Liberal Government is committed to supporting a consistent, contemporary and accountable judicial system to enhance public confidence in the courts.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will, within our first 100 days, introduce legislation to establish an independent judicial oversight body to
- Promote consistent sentencing and high standards of judicial performance
- Establish an appropriate scheme of continuing education and training of judicial officers.
- Deal with complaints against judicial officers.
As with any other profession, all judicial officers need regular training and continuing education to ensure that they are up to date with new laws, and improve their skills and knowledge.
This new judicial oversight body will help judges to comply with performance and conduct standards so that they understand and behave consistently with the expectations of the Tasmanian community.
Mandating High Risk Offender Order assessments for all child sexual offenders
There is no more important work than to provide a safe environment for Tasmanian children and young people to grow and thrive.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is committed to strengthening criminal justice responses to child sexual offenders to ensure the community is protected from sexual predators.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will introduce legislation to mandate that all child sexual offenders are assessed for the risk that they pose to the community and the need for monitoring through a High Risk Offender Order at the time of sentencing.
This will ensure that sex offenders are appropriately supervised and monitored and that our community is safe from those who would prey on our children and young people.
Under this new legislation anyone who is convicted of child sexual abuse will be properly managed for the risk they pose to the community.
Protecting frontline workers, including nurses
Serious assault or bodily harm to our first responders and frontline workers is entirely unacceptable.
The Liberal Government is committed to protecting our hardworking frontline workers, including nurses. We have attempted to bring minimum mandatory sentences for assault on frontline workers to the Parliament on two occasions (in 2016 and 2019). Despite having a mandate at each election for this policy, Labor and the Greens opposed the legislation.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will, within our first 100 days, introduce legislation to provide for presumptive sentencing for assault on frontline workers.
Presumptive sentencing is not minimum mandatory sentencing but it does set a minimum sentence for assault on frontline workers that must be applied by the Court unless it is unjust to do so, thereby giving discretion to the judiciary in its independent decision-making.
The new laws will apply to health and medical workers in our hospitals and health services, such as nurses and midwives, doctors, hospital orderlies and attendants; correctional services workers in our prisons; social services officers, like child safety officers; transport workers; and retail and hospitality workers.
The presumption will not apply to offenders under the age of 18 years at the time the offence was committed. Courts will, of course, have the discretion to impose a higher sentence commensurate to the seriousness of the offence.
No frontline worker – whether in public or private sector jobs – should face abuse or assault in their workplace. This legislation will send a strong message that assault of any frontline worker is not acceptable.
Decreasing court backlogs
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is committed to ensuring all Tasmanians have access to an efficient and effective criminal and civil justice system, in which all court proceedings can be finalised in a timely manner.
There are many factors that contribute to court backlogs, some of which are beyond the control of the courts. They include complexity of matters before courts, an increasing number of criminal cases (up by 10 per cent from 2022 to 2023).
The appointment of Acting Judges and expansion of the functions of Associate Judges, as well as additional judicial resources provided by our Government including a seventh Judge, and effective case management strategies adopted by judges such as additional judicial time, are all helping to manage backlogs.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will support the Tasmanian Supreme and Magistrates Courts to review their case management and listing procedures with the aim of reducing decision and finalisation times and to ensure the efficient use of court resources.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will also introduce legislation to require pre-trial conferences to identify and resolve any legal arguments, and the early management of any evidentiary issues to support the efficient management of court resources and minimise the impact of criminal proceedings on victims of crime.
Streamlining criminal trials by reducing legal arguments assists victims by reducing the risk of re-traumatising people participating in the criminal justice system and ensuring offenders are held to account for their crimes in a timely manner.
Expanding the Just Healthy Families Program
The Just Healthy Families Program supports women, children and young people by reducing the level and impact of family violence.
The Program embeds legal help into healthcare services and teams, thereby strengthening Tasmania's social capital through direct legal advice and information sessions.
Under the Liberal Government three lawyers have been employed to deliver these services in a range of community settings across Tasmania. The Program has successfully brought lawyers and access to legal advice into healthcare settings to make it easier for people experiencing family violence to access justice and legal services at the places victims regularly visit including:
- Child and Family Centres
- General Practitioners
- Community paediatricians
- Services for out-of-home care for young people
- Homeless and emergency accommodation services
- Youth services
Funding has been provided to extend the Program to 30 June 2025. A re-elected majority Liberal Government will provide an additional $1.2 million over two years to expand the program until 2027.
Introducing a new crime of impersonating a ride share driver
The Liberal Government is focused on community safety.
In recent years, there have been several abhorrent and shocking incidents where ride share drivers have sexually assaulted or harassed people under the guise of being a ride share driver.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will introduce a specific crime of impersonating a ride share driver.
The introduction of a specific crime will raise community awareness and deter unlicensed people from posing as licenced drivers.
Anyone using ride share should feel safe and be protected from those who would do them harm.
Establish a Justice Precinct around the new Burnie Courts Complex, including a new Victims Service
The Tasmanian Liberal Government has committed $86.5 million to deliver the Burnie Courts Complex, improving access to justice in the North-West by providing modern, fit-for-purpose courts in Wilson Street.
A re-elected majority Liberal Government will establish a Justice Precinct around the complex to improve access to justice services for victims, witnesses and court users, including a new Victims Service to provide increased support for people who engage with the criminal justice system.
This will bring together existing services into the one victim-centred service to support those impacted by crime.
The Complex will have specifically designed spaces for the legal services, including the Director of Public Prosecutions and Tasmanian Legal Aid services.
Consultation with victim-survivors and advocacy bodies will be undertaken as part of the design, ensuring the service meets their needs.
The new Victims Service will create a single contact point for victims engaging in the justice system statewide and will include -
- Financial assistance to victims of violent crime under the Victims of Crime Assistance Scheme.
- Information about custody, bail and parole of offenders.
- Provision of trauma-centred support to victims attending court.
- Assistance to prepare Victim Impact Statements.
- Personal counselling.
- A safe and victim-centred place for victims and witnesses to give evidence remotely or participate in police interviews.
- Referrals to community services and resources.
- The Court Support Dog program.
- The Witness Intermediary Scheme, which will be permanently funded and expanded.
Efforts will continue with the federal Labor Government to secure the $15 million required to include a Family and Federal Circuit Court in the design of the Burnie Court Complex.
Net Cost: $1.2 million