❓ The Attorney General outlines new legislation protecting jury deliberations, commencing 2 October 2000, preventing juror intimidation and ensuring confidentiality, with cross-party support.
AnsweredQoN 222Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Can the Attorney General advise the House of any new measures to protect jurors? Hon PETER FOSS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The new legislation proposed by the State Government protecting jury deliberations in Western Australia commences on 2 October 2000. Its development stemmed from the deliberations of the Standing Committee of Attorneys General, which developed the legislation so that it could be enacted by all States. Similar changes are also being enacted by New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. The legislation provides for the statements, opinions, arguments or votes cast by members of a jury in the course of their deliberations to be considered to be protected information. The changes will prevent jurors being identified, intimidated or interfered with in the carrying out of their important function of deciding guilt or innocence of people accused of criminal offences. They will be able to do so in the knowledge that their deliberations will remain confidential. Any person who discloses protected information would be committing an offence and could be fined up to $5 000 or be imprisoned for six months or both. The Opposition recognised the importance of these government proposals and supported them in Parliament. It is probably a matter of note that there was a case recently in New South Wales relating to a rather well-known person, Mr John Laws, and it is timely that this legislation has been introduced.
Hon PETER FOSS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The new legislation proposed by the State Government protecting jury deliberations in Western Australia commences on 2 October 2000. Its development stemmed from the deliberations of the Standing Committee of Attorneys General, which developed the legislation so that it could be enacted by all States. Similar changes are also being enacted by New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. The legislation provides for the statements, opinions, arguments or votes cast by members of a jury in the course of their deliberations to be considered to be protected information. The changes will prevent jurors being identified, intimidated or interfered with in the carrying out of their important function of deciding guilt or innocence of people accused of criminal offences. They will be able to do so in the knowledge that their deliberations will remain confidential. Any person who discloses protected information would be committing an offence and could be fined up to $5 000 or be imprisoned for six months or both. The Opposition recognised the importance of these government proposals and supported them in Parliament. It is probably a matter of note that there was a case recently in New South Wales relating to a rather well-known person, Mr John Laws, and it is timely that this legislation has been introduced.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The new legislation proposed by the State Government protecting jury deliberations in Western Australia commences on 2 October 2000. Its development stemmed from the deliberations of the Standing Committee of Attorneys General, which developed the legislation so that it could be enacted by all States. Similar changes are also being enacted by New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. The legislation provides for the statements, opinions, arguments or votes cast by members of a jury in the course of their deliberations to be considered to be protected information. The changes will prevent jurors being identified, intimidated or interfered with in the carrying out of their important function of deciding guilt or innocence of people accused of criminal offences. They will be able to do so in the knowledge that their deliberations will remain confidential. Any person who discloses protected information would be committing an offence and could be fined up to $5 000 or be imprisoned for six months or both. The Opposition recognised the importance of these government proposals and supported them in Parliament. It is probably a matter of note that there was a case recently in New South Wales relating to a rather well-known person, Mr John Laws, and it is timely that this legislation has been introduced.
The new legislation proposed by the State Government protecting jury deliberations in Western Australia commences on 2 October 2000. Its development stemmed from the deliberations of the Standing Committee of Attorneys General, which developed the legislation so that it could be enacted by all States. Similar changes are also being enacted by New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. The legislation provides for the statements, opinions, arguments or votes cast by members of a jury in the course of their deliberations to be considered to be protected information. The changes will prevent jurors being identified, intimidated or interfered with in the carrying out of their important function of deciding guilt or innocence of people accused of criminal offences. They will be able to do so in the knowledge that their deliberations will remain confidential. Any person who discloses protected information would be committing an offence and could be fined up to $5 000 or be imprisoned for six months or both. The Opposition recognised the importance of these government proposals and supported them in Parliament. It is probably a matter of note that there was a case recently in New South Wales relating to a rather well-known person, Mr John Laws, and it is timely that this legislation has been introduced.
The Opposition recognised the importance of these government proposals and supported them in Parliament. It is probably a matter of note that there was a case recently in New South Wales relating to a rather well-known person, Mr John Laws, and it is timely that this legislation has been introduced.
Hon PETER FOSS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. The new legislation proposed by the State Government protecting jury deliberations in Western Australia commences on 2 October 2000. Its development stemmed from the deliberations of the Standing Committee of Attorneys General, which developed the legislation so that it could be enacted by all States. Similar changes are also being enacted by New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. The legislation provides for the statements, opinions, arguments or votes cast by members of a jury in the course of their deliberations to be considered to be protected information. The changes will prevent jurors being identified, intimidated or interfered with in the carrying out of their important function of deciding guilt or innocence of people accused of criminal offences. They will be able to do so in the knowledge that their deliberations will remain confidential. Any person who discloses protected information would be committing an offence and could be fined up to $5 000 or be imprisoned for six months or both. The Opposition recognised the importance of these government proposals and supported them in Parliament. It is probably a matter of note that there was a case recently in New South Wales relating to a rather well-known person, Mr John Laws, and it is timely that this legislation has been introduced.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The new legislation proposed by the State Government protecting jury deliberations in Western Australia commences on 2 October 2000. Its development stemmed from the deliberations of the Standing Committee of Attorneys General, which developed the legislation so that it could be enacted by all States. Similar changes are also being enacted by New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. The legislation provides for the statements, opinions, arguments or votes cast by members of a jury in the course of their deliberations to be considered to be protected information. The changes will prevent jurors being identified, intimidated or interfered with in the carrying out of their important function of deciding guilt or innocence of people accused of criminal offences. They will be able to do so in the knowledge that their deliberations will remain confidential. Any person who discloses protected information would be committing an offence and could be fined up to $5 000 or be imprisoned for six months or both. The Opposition recognised the importance of these government proposals and supported them in Parliament. It is probably a matter of note that there was a case recently in New South Wales relating to a rather well-known person, Mr John Laws, and it is timely that this legislation has been introduced.
The new legislation proposed by the State Government protecting jury deliberations in Western Australia commences on 2 October 2000. Its development stemmed from the deliberations of the Standing Committee of Attorneys General, which developed the legislation so that it could be enacted by all States. Similar changes are also being enacted by New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. The legislation provides for the statements, opinions, arguments or votes cast by members of a jury in the course of their deliberations to be considered to be protected information. The changes will prevent jurors being identified, intimidated or interfered with in the carrying out of their important function of deciding guilt or innocence of people accused of criminal offences. They will be able to do so in the knowledge that their deliberations will remain confidential. Any person who discloses protected information would be committing an offence and could be fined up to $5 000 or be imprisoned for six months or both. The Opposition recognised the importance of these government proposals and supported them in Parliament. It is probably a matter of note that there was a case recently in New South Wales relating to a rather well-known person, Mr John Laws, and it is timely that this legislation has been introduced.
The Opposition recognised the importance of these government proposals and supported them in Parliament. It is probably a matter of note that there was a case recently in New South Wales relating to a rather well-known person, Mr John Laws, and it is timely that this legislation has been introduced.
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