‘Judges should remember’ history of past behaviour

Changes to the Penal System Reform Act will help judges recognise patterns of repeat offending, particularly in cases of domestic abuse, MP Kirk Humphrey has told the House of Assembly.

The proposed legislation, laid in the House on Tuesday by Minister of Home Affairs Gregory Nicholls, would allow judges to consider relevant past convictions when sentencing people who come before the courts.

Humphrey said: “Those cases where things are so directly relevant, where the patterns are so clear; in cases like that, that really come down to life and death for many women, that’s the truth. What should be the role of the court, and the central question I think is what should the court be allowed to remember.”