The Government’s diluted Three Strikes law betrays victims and breaks their promise of getting tough on criminals.
The new bill wipes the slate clean for 14,687 offenders who had strikes under the previous Three Strikes law. Instead of maintaining these strikes, the Government plans to reset their count to zero. This means even the most dangerous repeat offenders are given a fresh start, jeopardizing public safety.
The Three Strikes law was designed to target the most serious crimes, covering nearly all major violent and sexual offenses with penalties of seven years or more. However, the new, weakened version only counts a "strike" if a judge sentences the criminal to more than 24 months.This loophole undermines the entire purpose of the Three Strikes regime, reducing its effectiveness as a deterrent and compromising community safety. By narrowing the scope of offenses that qualify, the bill dilutes the certainty of punishment that is crucial for deterring repeat offenders.
The original Three Strikes law aimed to prevent lenient judges from reducing sentences for serious crimes. However, the judiciary exploited the "manifestly unjust" exemption, applying it in nearly every case, thus undermining the law's intent. Instead of addressing this issue, the new Government proposes to grant even more discretion to these judges, allowing them to bypass the Three Strikes regime more easily. This change undermines the law's purpose and fails to deliver the strong, consistent penalties necessary to deter repeat offenders and protect our communities.
ACT and National pledged to reintroduce the Three Strikes law with improvements to prevent judges from bypassing it. However, instead of fulfilling this promise and standing by victims, the government has backtracked, betraying the very people it vowed to protect. This failure to deliver on their commitment leaves victims feeling abandoned and vulnerable, undermining trust in the justice system. Ministers have even boasted that the new version is so watered down, the Labour Party won’t repeal it! Instead of creating a robust Three Strikes law to protect the public, the government is catering to the very party known for its soft on crime positions. This misguided focus compromises public safety and fails to deliver the tough, effective legislation that communities need.
1st strike
Wounding with intent
2nd strike
Attempted murder
3rd strike
Would have a clean slate.
Aggravated robbery
Aggravated burglary
Wounding with intent to injure
Robbery
Would have a clean slate.Would NOT be a Third Striker if he did it ALL AGAIN.
Indecent assault
Indecent assault on a child
Aggravated robbery, causing (GBH)
Wounding with intent to cause (GBH)
Using a firearm against a law enforcement officer x 2
Murder