Shoebridge and Dixon on Mandatory Sentencing

"The Wire" | Radio 2SER | 23 May 2011

People who are convicted of killing police officers in New South Wales could be facing a mandatory life sentence if a new government bill is passed. Premier Barry O’Farrell, announced the bill over the weekend, saying that the liberal party has been committed to the policy since 2002. Mandatory sentencing revokes the powers of a judge to interpret facts based on individual circumstances, and some say it can promote a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Criminal law experts are concerned that the measures will lead to injustice and won’t deter criminals from committing offences. Featured in story: Dean of Law University of New South Wales, Professor David Dixon, Greens MP David Shoebridge