法院不配合，法律改革猶如空中樓閣

上週维州最高法院的四位法官决定他们将无视有关加重量刑重大犯罪刑期的新法律，儘管在一位法官声称议会立场已非常清楚并需要法院配合实施判决上加重量刑，但仍有四位法官认为加重量刑的新法目前仍难以有效实施。

由于这个重大决定的结果，性侵 12岁以下的儿童犯罪刑期从 10 年降至仅3年半刑期。 而对于重大商业化贩毒的平均刑期则从 14 年降至7年。 这样的决议无异代表谋杀、乱伦、有罪驾驶等犯罪刑期也会面临同样大幅度的从轻量刑。

维州政府应将新法律中加入明确规定，此举可确保法院在审理重大犯罪时需引用加重量刑的新法来确保重大犯罪者可有效依法量刑。

英文版:

Government must restore longer sentences for serious crimes

Last week four judges in the highest court in Victoria, the Court of Appeal, decided they would ignore new laws requiring courts to impose longer sentences for serious crimes.

The four judges claimed they couldn’t work out how the new laws worked, even though a fifth judge said it was clear the Parliament required longer sentences, and that’s what should be applied. 

As a result of this decision, the average jail sentence for the sexual abuse of a child aged under 12 has been reduced from 10 years back down to 3 ½ years, and the average sentence for large commercial drug trafficking has been reduced from 14 years back to 7 years. 

The decision also means lower sentences for murder, incest and culpable driving causing death. 

The Victorian government must introduce new legislation quickly to make clear the courts can’t refuse to put offenders in jail for longer for these horrific crimes.