19 July, 2007

Youth Justice - Do the judges get the point?

"Judge Andrew Becroft told a parliamentary committee yesterday that NZ First MP Ron Mark's Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill would abolish the Youth Court and end family group conferences.
"It would effectively end our current youth justice system ... Whatever have been the intentions, it is clear that this bill is profoundly poorly drafted ... One could even say it is abysmally drafted."
"more

Ever wondered why so many judges have opinions that are so different to those held by the general public? Many of whom are parents?

Why is it that judges in the youth justice system fail to see that many of the sentences and family conferences they hand down are treated with the contempt normally reserved for wet bus tickets by the public, victims and offenders alike?

Stories of young people being used by older criminals to commit crimes simply because they just get a slap on the wrist if caught abound. This isn't urban legend. Newspaper clippings about the recent sentencing of a local family of bag snatchers and their modus operandi are taped to the window of a shop up the road from me right now.

No matter how you look at it real crime deserves real punishment.

The consequences must fit the actions otherwise the young and morally bent will continue to get away with everything just short of murder.

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