Moderate Liberal Russell Broadbent, says mandatory sentencing interferes with separation of powers, and removes the option for judges to take particular circumstances of cases into account.
After losing her marginal seat of Corangamite at the election, Sarah Henderson is set to return to parliament after winning preselection for a Victorian Senate vacancy.
At a time when many Australian jurisdictions are imprisoning more people than ever, any policies that increase prisoner numbers must be seriously reconsidered.
Should those convicted of domestic violence be punished differently? A professor from the University of Maryland thinks harsher policies may make the problem worse.
As the Law Council of Australia calls for the end of mandatory sentencing, it might be time for the Australian government to evaluate and resolve the troubles of this problematic system.
The Northern Territory stands out for having one of the highest imprisonment rates in the world - much higher even than in the US - and it’s hard to argue that this does the community much good.
The Victorian government’s introduction of the Sentencing Amendment (Coward’s Punch Manslaughter and Other Matters) Bill 2014 this week has again sparked debate about the deterrence value and general utility…