Plans for Closure of Criminals’ Name-Change Loophole

Under proposed amendments to the Corrective Services Act 2006 (Qld) announced by the Hon Jack Dempsey MP, Minister for Police, a loophole regarding convicted criminals changing their names will no longer be available in Queensland.

Laws currently exist which require prisoners and certain convicted offenders to obtain permission to change their name from either the chief executive of Corrective Services or the police commissioner, depending on the situation.  The Courier-Mail recently reported that there is presently no law preventing such persons from “acquiring a new identity” as there is no obligation on the registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) to inform the police of any changes in name for such persons. 

The Courier-Mail reported further that:

36 convicted offenders, including several murderers, rapists, fraudsters and a child abuser on parole or probation, had successfully applied to the Community Safety Department to change their names through the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) since 2008, but police were not notified.

Mr Dempsey has indicated that he intends to “close the loophole and ensure police were informed of any name changes”.  He also stated that he has requested his department “to make changes to the Corrective Services Act to stop any prisoner in custody, on probation or parole changing their name”.

Government Crackdown on 'Hooning' Offenders

On 3 July 2012, the Queensland LNP Government announced that it will introduce tougher ‘anti-hooning’ provisions into the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000 (Qld) (the Act), implementing a LNP State Election Policy to strengthen these laws.  The Police Minister, the Hon Jack Dempsey MP, said that illegal street racing, burnouts, donuts, drifting and speeding are highly dangerous activities and could harm local families and businesses.  These actions could also have fatal consequences.  

Even at low speeds, hooning behaviour can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, leave the road and hit a fixed object or a pedestrian.

Flying Foxes in Australia's Urban Environment

Flying foxes (otherwise known as fruit bats) are very noticeable in urban areas because they often roost in colonies of thousands. Their presence engenders different responses within the community – some positive, some negative. 

Flying foxes roost during the day then fly out at sunset to feed during the night.  Some flying fox roosting areas are permanent camps whereas others may be occupied for a period then abandoned, perhaps to become reoccupied sometime later.

Partial Defence of Provocation: Non-violent Sexual Advances

Uncertainty over whether provocation caused by an unwanted homosexual advance will form the basis of a partial defence to murder may soon be resolved with the Sunshine Coast Daily reporting on 7 June 2012 that the Queensland Attorney-General, the Hon Jarrod Bleijie MP, had asked the Department of Justice and Attorney-General to brief him on the issue.  The Attorney-General was quoted as saying ‘the LNP supports, in principle, the concept that persons should not be able to rely on [provocation] simply because of a minor touching incident or unwanted sexual advance’.

Just prior to the 2011 State election campaign, the then Queensland Attorney-General in the Bligh Labor Government, the Hon Paul Lucas MP, announced a proposal to amend the partial defence of provocation contained in s 304 of the Queensland Criminal Code to ensure that it could not be used where the defendant has received an unwanted sexual advance from the deceased, unless there were exceptional circumstances.

Tougher sentences for murder, serious assaults on police and repeat serious child sex offenders

On 20 June 2012, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, the Hon Jarrod Bleijie MP, introduced the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2012 (Qld) and the Criminal (Two Strike Child Sex Offenders) Amendment Bill 2012 (Qld) which, among other things, amend existing laws to increase jail time for murderers, perpetrators of serious assaults on police and repeat child sex offenders.

This legislation is in line with the LNP’s 2012 election campaign policies to apply tougher sentences for serious offenders and protect children.  Key elements of these policies included:

• increasing the non-parole period for murder from 15 to 20 years imprisonment;
• introducing a new offence of murder of a police officer with a non-parole period of 25 years imprisonment;
• increasing the non-parole period for multiple murders from 20 to 30 years imprisonment; and
• increasing the maximum penalty for a serious assault on a police officer from 7 to 14 years; and
• introducing a “two strikes” policy for repeat child sex offenders.

The Attorney-General has stated that “[t]hese tough new penalties send a clear and strong message that these offences simply won’t be tolerated”.  In response, the President of the Queensland Council of Civil Liberties, Mr Terry O’Gorman has commented that “the changes would prevent a judge or magistrate from sentencing on the peculiar facts of each case and would cause injustice”.