‘Three strikes’ will sabotage legal aid changes

‘Three strikes’ will sabotage legal aid changes

Useful reforms to legal aid services announced by Justice Minister Simon Power today will be sabotaged by the Government’s ridiculous ‘three strikes’ policy, says Labour justice spokesperson Lianne Dalziel.

“If Mr Power wants to be a credible and effective Justice Minister, he must stand up against the hardline and unworkable three strikes legislation,” Lianne Dalziel said.

“What Prime Minister John Key and his cohorts in the ACT Party and Sensible Sentencing Trust are about to do with the three strikes legislation is to create a whole new industry for defence lawyers.

“Sensible changes to legal aid services, recommended by Dame Margaret Bazley, and including a welcome expansion of the Public Defence Service, greater emphasis on community law centres and better quality assurance, will not achieve what they are intended to if there is a blow-out in defended cases.

“The legal aid changes have been designed, among other aims, to curb costs which have blown out in criminal legal aid in particular, and to give victims a greater sense of trust in the justice system,” Lianne Dalziel said.

“Under John Key’s and David Garrett’s ill-designed plans, however, people accused of serious crimes will have little choice but to plead not guilty if they want to try to avoid being locked away for long periods.

“This will make it much tougher on innocent victims, and, in terms of limiting costs in criminal courts, will have the reverse effect to the intended one,” Lianne Dalziel said.

“It’s not too late for Simon Power to stand up and be counted among all the experts, including his own ministerial advisers, who fear the impact of the three strikes legislation on victims and the justice system.”

ENDS