Judge Does The Right Thing Says Mark

New Zealand First law and order spokesperson Ron Mark has congratulated Judge Andrew Becroft for taking a tough stance against youth offending.

A 15-year-old girl was sentenced to 15 months in jail for her part in the aggravated assault and robbery of a taxi driver in Wellington earlier this year.

“Judge Becroft has sent out a strong message to other young offenders that their age will not protect them from being punished,” said Mr Mark.

“My private members bill is designed to give Judges more power to punish young offenders for their crimes and to lower the age of criminal responsibility.

“Under the current law, young offenders commit heinous crimes and know they will only get a slap on the wrist.

“Judge Becroft’s sentence has set a precedent that will hopefully be followed by other judges,” concluded Mr Mark.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>