‘Life’ sentences to be longer

Press, 10 March 1987, Page 1

‘Life’ sentences to be longer

Wellington reporter A minimum life sentence will soon be 10 years, said the Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer, yesterday. At present an inmate is eligible for release on parole after serving seven years of a life sentence. The increased minimum life sentence is one of 14 measures recommended by the Roper committee to be included in a new bill. The Cabinet yesterday authorised drafting of the bill. Other recommendations from the Roper Committee will be subject to an urgent report to Cabinet’s social equity committee. Mr Palmer said that the recommendations to be the subject of this report were the most important recommendations of the Roper Committee, as they dealt with the causes of violence. These recommendations concerned education, the Maori perspective, advertising, home and family, television violence, and violence in sport. “The Roper report will not be allowed to gather dust. It provides for hope for considerable progress

against violence in our society and I intend to pursue its recommendations vigorously," Mr Palmer said. The Government has also approved the development of a proposal for using electronic surveillance against serious organised crime. Such a proposal would be subject to appropriate safeguards in the legislation, he said. Apart from increasing the minimum life senxtence, the new bill will tighten parole and bail conditions. These provisions include: The application of bail provisions for violent offenders will be restricted. The supervision of offenders on parole will have extra special conditions. Failure to answer bail without reasonable excuse will be punishable by a year’s imprisonment. District Court judges will have the power to impose any conditions on a person released on bail. The police will be able to arrest without warrant any person reasonably believed to be in breach of a bail condition. The bill will also contain measures to ensure longer sentences for vio-

lent offenders. The Arms Act will be amended to increase the penalty for carrying a restricted weapon or imitation firearm. Imprisonment will be mandatory for conviction on a second or subsequent charge of carrying an offensive weapon or possessing a knife in a public place. Those convicted of any violent offence punishable by two years imprisonment or more shall be imprisoned unless there are special circumstances. A second violent offence within two years will make imprisonment mandatory unless there are special Circumstances. Imprisonment will also be mandatory for violent offences committed by a person on bail, unless there are special circumstances. The law will be changed so that the courts, when sentencing violent offenders, will not take into account the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the offence. The bill will also permit court orders to be obtained to remove fortifications of gang headquarters.