Sentencing policy announced by Minister Paul Goldsmith today is anything but new, merely window dressing to make up for backwards violent crime statistics under the National Government.

“After announcing the Government’s target of 20,000 fewer people ending up victim of a violent crime has instead recorded 30,000 more victims as of June, Paul Goldsmith has brought nothing new to the table with his sentencing ideas,” said Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb.

“The 25% maximum discount for an early guilty plea is already the approach explicitly taken in the courts, and victim impact statements are already an important way for victims to have their say in sentencing.

“Similarly very large sentencing discounts are used with caution – essentially where it would be unjust to take another approach. This legislation will essentially repeat the law as it stands.

“The courts already take the fact that offences are committed by someone in custody, on bail or parole into account. Cumulative sentencing will add little to this approach.

“All of the aggravating sentencing factors (for example if a retail crime is committed against a sole charge retail premise) are also already established in New Zealand’s court decision making process.

“Even encouraging youth offending, and publication on social media aren’t new – they were taken from Labour initiatives established while we were in Government.

“What Paul Goldsmith hasn’t announced is how this sentencing package will be resourced. For example how will the records of prior discounts for youth or remorse be kept centrally and how will this new system be paid for?

“We need to prevent crime happening in the first place. Pretending to tinker with sentencing and locking everyone up, rather than just those who should be, results in even bigger problems down the track.

“There absolutely needs to be penalties for those who commit violent crimes, and we need good sentencing laws so that judges have the right tools to make the right decisions. The government needs to put its thinking hat back on,” said Duncan Webb.

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