Weapons and Other Legislation (Firearms Offences) Amendment Bill 2019 and Criminal Code (Trespass Offences) Amendment Bill 2019

Today, QLS President, Bill Potts, Deputy Chair of the Criminal Law Committee, Ken Mackenzie, Legal Policy Manager, Binny De Saram and Policy Solicitor, Hayley Stubbings appeared before the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee at two public hearings.

The first was on the Weapons and Other Legislation (Firearms Offences) Amendment Bill 2019, where the Society:

• reiterated that new criminal offences and increases to penalties should be based on evidence that existing laws are inadequate
• expressed concerns about aspects of the bill that are inconsistent with fundamental legislative principles
• submitted that firearm prohibition orders, if enacted, should be imposed by a judicial officer rather than the police commissioner.

The second was on the Criminal Code (Trespass Offences) Amendment Bill 2019 where the Society submitted:

• that the three new trespass offences are not necessary as there is a range of legislation currently in place that might be applicable to the conduct contemplated by the Bill
• that the range of conduct captured by the three new trespass offences is exceptionally broad and might have unintended consequences (clause 5)
• that the penalties outlined in proposed sections 423 and 424 are, in the view of the Society, excessive when balanced against the overall legislative framework, which governs offending behaviour in Queensland (clause 5).

You can read our submissions on both bills here.