Latest news with #AstorLegal
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Confronting reason teens carrying knives
Harsher penalties will do little to curb the spike in youth knife crime unless the underlying reasons why they are being carried are addressed, a leading criminal lawyer has declared. Astor Legal principal lawyer Avinash Singh said he deals with people charged with knife offences on a weekly basis, with many also involved in the illegal drug trade. 'We have represented a number of minors accused of carrying knives – generally from lower socio-economic areas carrying knives for self-defence,' Mr Singh told NewsWire. 'Unfortunately, a lot of these young people have been assaulted and/or threatened themselves. 'They feel that reporting the matter to police after the fact will do them little good, particularly if they are seriously injured or even killed,' he said. 'As such, they often feel that they have to carry a knife to protect themselves.' The hard truth then, is that harsher crimes may not reduce offending, or make the community any safer, Mr Singh said. 'While it is understandable that governments and the community demand tougher laws to combat knife crime, this is unlikely to do much to reduce it in my opinion,' he said. 'People who carry knives are unlikely to stop just because of increased penalties. 'Research has found that they stop when they are no longer exposed to an environment where carrying a knife is seen as a necessity,' he said. 'This means addressing these communities by providing resources, programs and funding to prevent the issue – something governments have continuously failed to do.' The Victorian Allan Government announced in May it will be introducing laws to ban the sale and possession of machetes following an alleged spate of machete assaults. From September 1, those carrying a 'controlled weapon' or knife in Victoria will face up to two years imprisonment or a fine of $30,700. 'In Victoria, community safety comes first. We must never let places we meet become places we fear,' Premier Jacinta Allan said. 'I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives.' NSW introduced sweeping knife law reforms in 2024, giving police the right to scan people with handheld electronic metal-detecting wands, as well as increasing the maximum penalty for anyone found guilty of selling a knife to a child under 16. Those found guilty in NSW face four years imprisonment fines up to $4,400. Mr Singh said he feared 'the expanded search powers will disproportionately be used against young people from lower socio-economic areas'. 'This leads to distrust of police and can in fact have the opposite effect – that is, young people keep knives but simply avoid police and are less likely to report crimes'. He said this is already seen in the rising amount of NSW youth caught up in the criminal system following legislation changes and bail reform. 'The strictest knife crime laws at present are in NSW. While the laws have only recently been introduced, there has been a noticeable increase in the courts seeing knife offences,' Mr Singh said. 'This, along with recent Bail Act reforms in NSW, has led to a marked increase in children being refused bail and held in custody, which does nothing to address their behaviour or promote rehabilitation of offenders.'
West Australian
2 days ago
- Politics
- West Australian
‘Weekly basis': Lawyer reveals why young people are still carrying knives, despite harsher laws
Harsher penalties will do little to curb the spike in youth knife crime unless the underlying reasons why they are being carried are addressed, a leading criminal lawyer has declared. Astor Legal principal lawyer Avinash Singh said he deals with people charged with knife offences on a weekly basis, with many also involved in the illegal drug trade. 'We have represented a number of minors accused of carrying knives – generally from lower socio-economic areas carrying knives for self-defence,' Mr Singh told NewsWire. 'Unfortunately, a lot of these young people have been assaulted and/or threatened themselves. 'They feel that reporting the matter to police after the fact will do them little good, particularly if they are seriously injured or even killed,' he said. 'As such, they often feel that they have to carry a knife to protect themselves.' The hard truth then, is that harsher crimes may not reduce offending, or make the community any safer, Mr Singh said. 'While it is understandable that governments and the community demand tougher laws to combat knife crime, this is unlikely to do much to reduce it in my opinion,' he said. 'People who carry knives are unlikely to stop just because of increased penalties. 'Research has found that they stop when they are no longer exposed to an environment where carrying a knife is seen as a necessity,' he said. 'This means addressing these communities by providing resources, programs and funding to prevent the issue – something governments have continuously failed to do.' The Victorian Allan Government announced in May it will be introducing laws to ban the sale and possession of machetes following an alleged spate of machete assaults. From September 1, those carrying a 'controlled weapon' or knife in Victoria will face up to two years imprisonment or a fine of $30,700. 'In Victoria, community safety comes first. We must never let places we meet become places we fear,' Premier Jacinta Allan said. 'I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives.' Those found guilty in NSW face four years imprisonment fines up to $4,400. Mr Singh said he feared 'the expanded search powers will disproportionately be used against young people from lower socio-economic areas'. 'This leads to distrust of police and can in fact have the opposite effect – that is, young people keep knives but simply avoid police and are less likely to report crimes'. He said this is already seen in the rising amount of NSW youth caught up in the criminal system following legislation changes and bail reform. 'The strictest knife crime laws at present are in NSW. While the laws have only recently been introduced, there has been a noticeable increase in the courts seeing knife offences,' Mr Singh said. 'This, along with recent Bail Act reforms in NSW, has led to a marked increase in children being refused bail and held in custody, which does nothing to address their behaviour or promote rehabilitation of offenders.'
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Confronting reason teens carrying knives
Harsher penalties will do little to curb the spike in youth knife crime unless the underlying reasons why they are being carried are addressed, a leading criminal lawyer has declared. Astor Legal principal lawyer Avinash Singh said he deals with people charged with knife offences on a weekly basis, with many also involved in the illegal drug trade. 'We have represented a number of minors accused of carrying knives – generally from lower socio-economic areas carrying knives for self-defence,' Mr Singh told NewsWire. Youth and those involved in the drug trade are some of the most common offenders in regard to knife crime. NSW Police Credit: Supplied 'Unfortunately, a lot of these young people have been assaulted and/or threatened themselves. 'They feel that reporting the matter to police after the fact will do them little good, particularly if they are seriously injured or even killed,' he said. 'As such, they often feel that they have to carry a knife to protect themselves.' The hard truth then, is that harsher crimes may not reduce offending, or make the community any safer, Mr Singh said. Mr Singh said tougher laws are unlikely to significantly reduce crime, as youth offenders from low-socio-economic backgrounds often carry knives as a form of self defence out of fear and mistrust with police. Credit: Supplied 'While it is understandable that governments and the community demand tougher laws to combat knife crime, this is unlikely to do much to reduce it in my opinion,' he said. 'People who carry knives are unlikely to stop just because of increased penalties. 'Research has found that they stop when they are no longer exposed to an environment where carrying a knife is seen as a necessity,' he said. 'This means addressing these communities by providing resources, programs and funding to prevent the issue – something governments have continuously failed to do.' The Victorian Allan Government announced in May it will be introducing laws to ban the sale and possession of machetes following an alleged spate of machete assaults. From September 1, those carrying a 'controlled weapon' or knife in Victoria will face up to two years imprisonment or a fine of $30,700. 'In Victoria, community safety comes first. We must never let places we meet become places we fear,' Premier Jacinta Allan said. 'I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives.' More needs to be done to address the root cause of the problem in order to protect community safety and prevent youth crime, Mr Singh asserts. NewsWire / Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Singh said he has seen more, not less, people appearing in court over knife offences. NewsWire / Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia Those found guilty in NSW face four years imprisonment fines up to $4,400. Mr Singh said he feared 'the expanded search powers will disproportionately be used against young people from lower socio-economic areas'. 'This leads to distrust of police and can in fact have the opposite effect – that is, young people keep knives but simply avoid police and are less likely to report crimes'. He said this is already seen in the rising amount of NSW youth caught up in the criminal system following legislation changes and bail reform. 'The strictest knife crime laws at present are in NSW. While the laws have only recently been introduced, there has been a noticeable increase in the courts seeing knife offences,' Mr Singh said. 'This, along with recent Bail Act reforms in NSW, has led to a marked increase in children being refused bail and held in custody, which does nothing to address their behaviour or promote rehabilitation of offenders.'
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘Weekly basis': Lawyer reveals why young people are still carrying knives, despite harsher laws
Harsher penalties will do little to curb the spike in youth knife crime unless the underlying reasons why they are being carried are addressed, a leading criminal lawyer has declared. Astor Legal principal lawyer Avinash Singh said he deals with people charged with knife offences on a weekly basis, with many also involved in the illegal drug trade. 'We have represented a number of minors accused of carrying knives – generally from lower socio-economic areas carrying knives for self-defence,' Mr Singh told NewsWire. 'Unfortunately, a lot of these young people have been assaulted and/or threatened themselves. 'They feel that reporting the matter to police after the fact will do them little good, particularly if they are seriously injured or even killed,' he said. 'As such, they often feel that they have to carry a knife to protect themselves.' The hard truth then, is that harsher crimes may not reduce offending, or make the community any safer, Mr Singh said. 'While it is understandable that governments and the community demand tougher laws to combat knife crime, this is unlikely to do much to reduce it in my opinion,' he said. 'People who carry knives are unlikely to stop just because of increased penalties. 'Research has found that they stop when they are no longer exposed to an environment where carrying a knife is seen as a necessity,' he said. 'This means addressing these communities by providing resources, programs and funding to prevent the issue – something governments have continuously failed to do.' The Victorian Allan Government announced in May it will be introducing laws to ban the sale and possession of machetes following an alleged spate of machete assaults. From September 1, those carrying a 'controlled weapon' or knife in Victoria will face up to two years imprisonment or a fine of $30,700. 'In Victoria, community safety comes first. We must never let places we meet become places we fear,' Premier Jacinta Allan said. 'I hate these knives, and I will keep introducing as many laws as it takes to get them off our streets, out of our shops and out of our lives.' NSW introduced sweeping knife law reforms in 2024, giving police the right to scan people with handheld electronic metal-detecting wands, as well as increasing the maximum penalty for anyone found guilty of selling a knife to a child under 16. Those found guilty in NSW face four years imprisonment fines up to $4,400. Mr Singh said he feared 'the expanded search powers will disproportionately be used against young people from lower socio-economic areas'. 'This leads to distrust of police and can in fact have the opposite effect – that is, young people keep knives but simply avoid police and are less likely to report crimes'. He said this is already seen in the rising amount of NSW youth caught up in the criminal system following legislation changes and bail reform. 'The strictest knife crime laws at present are in NSW. While the laws have only recently been introduced, there has been a noticeable increase in the courts seeing knife offences,' Mr Singh said. 'This, along with recent Bail Act reforms in NSW, has led to a marked increase in children being refused bail and held in custody, which does nothing to address their behaviour or promote rehabilitation of offenders.'
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Little-known road rule landing Aussies $2k fines
Aussie motorists have been warned of one seemingly minor driving habit that could cost them thousands of dollars in fines. Significant penalties apply to those who flout the lesser-known road rule of leaving your car unlocked or your windows down after parking. However, there is one group of motorists exempt from the rules concerning unlocked doors and window security. In most states, there's a '3-metre rule' that dictates how far you can stray from your parked car without locking it. Essentially, if you move more than 3m away, you must lock your vehicle and secure the windows. Failure to do so could result in a fine. And let's be honest; almost everyone's been guilty of leaving their car unsecured while going for that quick coffee run or dash into a shop, often without a second thought. While leaving your car unlocked may seem a harmless oversight, there's a very good reason for the 3m rule. Improving vehicle security helps prevent car theft and dishonest insurance claims, such as when a vehicle is left unlocked intentionally and a claim is made for an alleged theft. Astor Legal's principal lawyer Avinash Singh explains: 'The reasoning behind the law is to prevent cars from being stolen and then used in more serious crimes,' he said. 'The use of allegedly stolen vehicles making it difficult for police to track down the offenders.' Here is everything you need to know about this often-overlooked rule. New South Wales In NSW, it is illegal to leave a running car unlocked or with a minor inside while unattended. Additionally, drivers must not leave their vehicle unattended with the windows down unless the gap is two centimetres or less. The fine is $114, but if the case goes to court, penalties can reach up to $2200. Queensland In QLD, it's illegal to leave your car unlocked when unattended. Similarly to NSW, you can't leave your vehicle unattended with the windows down unless there is a gap of five centimetres or less. The maximum penalty is $3096, with a fine of $2669 if the car is unlocked with the keys inside. Victoria In Victoria, it is an offence to leave your vehicle unattended without properly securing it, which includes ensuring all windows are fully closed and the car is locked. The on-the-spot fine is $117, with court penalties approaching $600. Western Australia WA follows similar rules to other states regarding vehicle security: you must ensure the doors and windows are secured when leaving your car unattended. The fine for failing to do so is $50. However, there's a stipulation that if you're going to pay for parking, you don't need to lock the car and put the windows up. Tasmania In Tasmania, it's the law to switch off the car, remove the key from the ignition, and ensure that no minors (under 16) are left in the vehicle when unattended. The rules also specify that the doors must be locked and the windows secured (defined as closed or open by up to 2 centimetres). The maximum penalty for leaving your car unlocked is just under $200. Australian Capital Territory In the ACT, you must secure your car when leaving it unattended, ensuring the windows are closed and the doors are locked. Failure to comply can result in a significant fine: 20 penalty units or $3200. Where is South Australia? South Australia is the only state that does not have this law. Regulation 23 of the Road Traffic (Road Rules — Ancillary and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2014 explicitly exempts drivers in South Australia from needing to lock their doors if away from their vehicle.
