Rise in crime

Press, 13 March 1986, Page 20

Rise in crime

The Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, has contested parts of an editorial, published on Monday, that dealt with the rising crime rate. In a letter to the editor of “The Press,” Mr Palmer said that it was wrong to say — as the editorial had — that the law’s ultimate sanction for murder means a prison term of “about seven years.”

“It is in fact about 10 years — nine years two months is the most recent average for a life sentence available to me,” Mr Palmer said.

“It is also misleading to say the imposition of prison sentences is actively discouraged in the new Criminal Justice Act. For serious crimes of violence that act actually makes imprison-

ment virtually automatic. Section 5 (1) says: “ ‘Where — (a) An offender is convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment for a term of five years, or more; and (b) The Court is satisfied that, in the course of committing the offence, the offender used serious violence against, or caused serious danger to the safety of, any other person — the Court shall impose a full-time custodial sentence on the offender unless the Court is satisfied that, because of the special circumstances of the offence, or of the offender, the offender should not be so sentenced.’

"One would have more confidence in your opinions if you got the facts correct,” Mr Palmer said.