Page 2368 - Week 08 - Thursday, 6 June 2013
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This will ensure the visibility of reductions for two reasons: firstly, to ensure that the community is able to be satisfied that sentences continue to reflect the seriousness of offences; and secondly, to ensure that defence counsel can advise their clients of the benefits of pre-trial and trial cooperation which ultimately may facilitate greater efficiency in cases before the courts.
Madam Speaker, the amendments in this bill will implement measures designed to improve the efficiency of our courts. In criminal matters, delays affect defendants, the community, and victims by prolonging the emotionally traumatic and exhausting experience of participating in criminal proceedings. The bill is an important step towards reducing such delay while still ensuring fairness to a defendant. I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Wall) adjourned to the next sitting.
Criminal Code (Cheating at Gambling) Amendment Bill 2013
Mr Corbell, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.
Title read by Clerk.
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations and Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development) (10.58): I move:
That this bill be agreed to in principle.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the Crimes (Cheating at Gambling) Amendment Bill 2013. The growth of sports betting in the Australian wagering market has led to increasing risks to the integrity of sport from those seeking to profit from the manipulation of results. These risks have been recognised nationally by state, territory and commonwealth attorneys-general and sports ministers as needing urgent attention.
In June 2011, all sports ministers committed to the national policy on match-fixing in sport, and agreed that all Australian governments would pursue a consistent approach to criminal offences and penalties for match-fixing activities.
The Standing Council on Law and Justice subsequently established a match-fixing working group. This working group developed a list of six match-fixing behaviours to assist jurisdictions in determining whether their legislation was appropriate to deal with the risks of match-fixing.
At the standing council meeting on 18 November 2011 the ministers endorsed the list of match-fixing behaviours and agreed to seek approval from their respective cabinets for the introduction of specific match-fixing offences where current legislation did not already deal with the behaviour.
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