Discrimination Has No Place in Sentencing

The courts should not be discriminating between offenders when passing sentences, says New Zealand First.

“This will surely lead to people with lucrative careers, who need to travel, attaining privileged status over those who cannot claim damage to careers or travel opportunities,” says Spokesperson for Justice Denis O’Rourke.

A rugby player has just been discharged without conviction on an assault charge with the judge stating that the possibility of career loss outweighed the crime.

“There is no legal justification for taking into account in sentencing (or a decision to discharge without conviction) the effect on the offender's career or on the offender's ability to travel.

“The courts are effectively indulging in judicial legislation by failing to convict or impose proper sentences by taking irrelevant considerations into account without any statutory basis for doing so.

“This practice has to stop otherwise the criminal justice system will be brought into disrepute and will be compromised,” says Mr O’Rourke.

ENDS

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