Officials warn Govt's boy-racer car-crushing powers threaten judicial discretion
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The Government is pushing ahead with a bill designed to target boy racers, despite concerns it could compromise judicial discretion.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Police Minister Mark Mitchell today announced that the Anti-Social Road Use Legislation Amendment Bill had been introduced to Parliament and would have its first reading next month.
The bill contains new powers, announced in May, that include establishing a presumptive sentence of vehicle destruction or forfeiture for anyone participating in street racing, burnouts and intimidating convoys, as well as any vehicle owner who refused to identify offending drivers.
Exceptions would be made if the offender didn't own the car, if crushing the vehicle was manifestly unjust or would cause extreme hardship.
A draft Cabinet paper, released today, noted justice officials were concerned the 'very high threshold' for not applying a sentence could result in 'outcomes perceived to be unfair'.
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