Tuesday, 3 March 2020

Sentencing Amendment (Emergency Worker Harm) Bill 2020

Introduction and first reading

Ms HENNESSY (Altona—Attorney-General, Minister for Workplace Safety) (12:56): I move:

That I introduce a bill for an act to amend the Sentencing Act 1991 in relation to sentencing for certain offences committed against emergency workers and others, to amend the Criminal Procedure Act 2009 in relation to indictable offences that may be heard and determined summarily and to make minor amendments to the Crimes Act 1958 and the Serious Offenders Act 2018 and for other purposes.

Motion agreed to.

Mr WELLS (Rowville) (12:57): I ask the Attorney-General for a brief explanation of the bill.

Ms HENNESSY: The bill does address a couple of core issues. First and foremost it changes some of the presumptions and the regulation around those that suffer from a mental impairment but also seek to rely upon the defence of intoxication in respect of sentencing practices when it comes to assaults—serious assaults—against emergency services workers. It changes some of the presumptions in relation to the law of complicity. It clarifies emergency workers from other states are covered by emergency worker sentencing practice in the law of Victoria, and it provides an uplift for the prosecution and the jurisdiction in which these matters are heard.

Read first time.

Ordered to be read a second time tomorrow.