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NSW officially abolishes ‘good character’ references from being considered at sentencing hearings
NSW has officially abolished the use of “good character” references when it comes to sentencing for all offences, the first such change in the nation.
Victim-survivors and their loved ones will no longer be forced to sit in court and hear the person convicted of a heinous crime be described as an otherwise good person.
While I’m glad we’re finally here, it should not have taken so long for the Liberals and Nationals to listen to victim-survivors and their advocates and drop their opposition to these reforms.
This win belongs to every survivor in this country. … That is hard-won dignity.
But I’m not done. Every survivor in every corner of this country deserves the same protection, and I will fight until every jurisdiction reflects that. NSW was first. The rest will follow.
Your proposed reforms do not go far enough. They leave too many loopholes and fail to properly protect families from an industry that profits from addiction. …
This is not good enough … We support stronger national action, including consideration of a national regulator, so gambling harm is addressed consistently across the country.
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