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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-09-14 Daily Xml
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Sentencing

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:34): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Attorney-General about sentencing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: It was reported recently in The Advertiser that there is a growing trend of alleged offenders attempting to utilise their autism condition as a defence for their crimes or to gain sentencing leniency. My questions to the Attorney-General are:

1. Does the Attorney-General have any concerns about this growing trend?

2. What measures will the Attorney-General put in place to address this very serious matter?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:35): I thank the honourable member for her question. No concerns at all have been raised with me from any jurisdiction in South Australia, whether that be the Magistrates Court, the District Court, the Supreme Court or the Youth Court, or even any of the tribunals—the SACAT or the SAIT—in relation to what the honourable member is referring to. If it is raised with me by any of those jurisdictions or the Courts Administration Authority as a present and real problem, of course I will take that into consideration.

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