National calls for tough sentences

Press, 2 August 1983, Page 2

National calls for tough sentences

By

KARREN BEANLAND

The National Party conference in Dunedin yesterday gave the Government a clear message that it wants tougher sentences for violent crimes and rape.

This followed comments made by the Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, yesterday and on Friday about the need to make the courts realise that they should be imposing tougher sentences for crimes such as rape. When Parliament had legislated for a maximum 14year penalty and the average sentence given for rape was only four years, it was clear that the courts were not carrying out the wishes of Parliament, he said. The Minister of Justice, Mr McLay, made similar remarks last week.

Yesterday the full conference passed three remits calling either for compulsory minimum penalties for certain crimes such as assault, rape and robbery, or for harder deterrent penalties for violent crimes. Earlier in the week-end, the conference also passed a remit calling for a bigger police force to counter the increasing amount of lawlessness.

Arguing for the remit

proposing automatic minimum penalties for certain crimes, Miss Colleen Dewe of Lyttelton, said that the level of violence in New Zealand society was totally unacceptable. Penalties were needed that would be a deterrent to such crimes.

She expected opposition to the remit on the ground that it would limit the discretion of the courts. However, she said that the move would only set a minimum penalty and the courts would still have the discretion to give a penalty be-

tween the minimum and maximum. Mr Muldoon commented in his speech that legislating for minimum penalties could be very difficult, but that the court should open its eyes to the maximum penalties set by Parliament. The conference supported moves by Mr McLay to change the laws on rape. It passed a remit calling for harsher penalties for convicted rapists, more help for rape victims, and for the changes in the rape laws to be made during this session of Parliament. The conference also discussed the issue of private television and called on the Government to issue a directive to the Broadcasting Tribunal to call for applications for regional television station warrants. Among the other remits adopted by the conference was one calling for increased speed limits on designated main trunk roads. Other successful remits called for more realistic penalties for industrial pollution and a review of the Social Welfare system. A remit proposing a 25 per cent reduction in the cost of electricity to South Island supply authorities was rejected.